Born in Nottingham England, ALVIN LEE began playing guitar age 13 and formed the core of the band Ten Years After by aged 15. Originally influenced by his parent's collection of jazz and blues records, it was the advent of rock and roll that truly sparked his interest and creativity, and guitarists like Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore provided his inspiration.

The Jaybirds, as Lee's early band was called, were popular locally and had success in Hamburg, Germany, following the Beatles there in 1962. But it wasn't until the band moved to London in 1966 and changed its name to TYA that international success beckoned. The band secured a residency at the legendary Marquee Club, and an invitation to the famous Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival in 1967 led to their first recording contract. The self titled debut album surprisingly received play on San Francisco's underground radio stations and was enthusiastically embraced by listeners, including concert promoter Bill Graham, who invited the band to tour America for the first time in the summer of 1968. Audiences were immediately taken Lee's distinctive, soulful, rapid fire guitar playing and the band's innovative mix of blues, swing jazz and rock, and an American love affair began. TYA would ultimately tour the USA 28 times in 7 years, more than any other U.K. band.

Appearing at the famed Woodstock Festival, Lee's virtuoso performance was one of the highlights and remains today a standard for many other guitarists. Captured on film in the documentary of the festival, his inspired playing catapulted him into superstardom, and soon the band was playing arenas and stadiums around the globe. Although Lee later lamented that he missed the intimacy of smaller venues, there is no denying the impact the film made in bringing his music to a worldwide audience.

TYA had great success, releasing ten albums together, but by 1973, Lee was feeling limited by the band's style. With American gospel singer Mylon LeFevre and a host of rock talents like George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood and Mick Fleetwood , he recorded and released On The Road To Freedom, a highly acclaimed album that was at the forefront of country rock. A year later, in response to a dare, Lee formed Alvin Lee & Company to play a show the Rainbow in London and released it as a double live album, In Flight. An energetic mix of rhythm & blues and rock, with a tribute to Elvis Presley thrown in for good measure, Lee once, in his understated fashion, called this band "a funky little outfit". They were far more than that and various members of the band continued on with Lee for his next two albums, Pump Iron and Let it Rock. He finished out the 70s with a powerhouse trio he called Ten Years Later who also released two albums, Ride On and Rocket Fuel, and toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States.

The 80s brought another change in Lee's direction, with two albums that were strong collaborations with Rarebird's Steve Gould and an extensive tour with the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor joining his band.

Lee's overall musical output includes more than 20 albums, including 1985's Detroit Diesel and the back to back 90s collections of Zoom and 1994 (I Hear You Rocking). Guest artists on both albums include George Harrison, whose brilliant slide guitar perfectly complements Lee's lead. Their duet on 1994's The Bluest Blues led one reviewer to call it "the most perfect blues song ever recorded."

"Alvin Lee in Tennessee", a 2004 release, was recorded with rock and roll legends Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana. It's an upbeat selection of songs that are timely and forward looking, yet borrow from his beloved 50s rock and roll. There's even a new version of his signature song, I'm Going Home, performed here, according to Lee "as it always should have been".

Lee's newest album, Saguitar, released September 2007, showcases the artist's bluesy vocals and dazzling guitar work on 14 new songs that range from melancholic blues to raucous rock to an innovative interpretation of rap. Lee says the album "celebrates the sheer joy of making music". For the listener, the celebration starts when they crank up the volume and groove to the latest offering from this enduring and superbly talented musician.

1967:
Ten Years After secures a residency at the legendary Marquee Club in London. Their success leads to an invitation to play at the renowned Windsor Jazz Festival, and that performance leads to a a recording contract with Deram (three months after being turned down by Deram's parent company, Decca). They are the first band signed without benefit of a hit single. In October, their self-titled first album is released in the U.K.

1968:
TYA are flying high, with successful tours of Scandinavia and an invitation to tour America. They record their second album UNDEAD live at Klook's Kleek in London, which is released in the summer in the U.S. and later in the year in the U.K.

In June they travel to the US for the first time at the request of promoter Bill Graham. They begin a seven week tour in Los Angeles and perform back-to-back weekends at the Fillmore West. Their reception is so good that Canned Heat, who they opened for the first time they played Fillmore West, comes to the stage saying "We don't know who those guys are, but they deserve to be where we are" . Bill Graham seems to agree, as they are moved up on the bill the next week.

September Stonedhenge is recorded (3rd - 15th).

1969:
February - Stonedhenge is released in the U.K. (it follows in March in the USA). - TYA take off for another US tour, starting at New York's Fillmore East (28th)
June - Ssssh is recorded.
July - TYA appear at the legendary Newport Jazz Festival, the first time rock bands have been invited.
August - TYA appear at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival (17th). Ssssh is released.

1970:
 April - Cricklewood Green is released in the UK, following in the US on May 5
Love Like a Man" is released, giving TYA their first hit single in the UK. On the 29th, they appear at the Isle of Wight Festival.
September: The documentary film WOODSTOCK is released.
December - Watt is released. TYA complete their 9th US tour

1971:
September - TYA begin their first UK tour in 18 months. Dates are added to the original schedule to accommodate the demand for tickets.
October - A Space in Time is released. It is certified gold by December. "I'd Love to Change the World", the band's most successful single, is never played live.
November - USA tour #12 begins. On the 18th, TYA play to a sold-out, 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden

1972:
May - Alvin Lee & Company, a collection of previously recorded and unreleased material is released.
October - Rock & Roll Music to The World is released.

1973:
April- On the road in the US again.
May - a second TYA tour in Japam
June - Recorded Live is released.

The band takes the second half of the year off to pursue other projects. Alvin Lee and gospel-rocker Mylon LeFevre assemble some of rock's greats, including George Harrison, Ron Wood and Steve Winwood, and record On The Road to Freedom

1974:
January - With the release of On The Road to Freedom, news of a TYA break-up is rampant. But the band heads for the studio to record Positive Vibrations.
March - On a dare, Alvin Lee assembles a group of musicians and singers and forms Alvin Lee & Company to play at London's Rainbow Theatre on the 22nd. The performance is released as In Flight.
April - TYA tour the UK. It turns out to be their last appearance in the UK together until 1983.
May - Positive Vibrations is released, followed by another USA tour.
November - Alvin Lee begins to tour with Alvin Lee & Company

1975:
August: TYA begin their 28th tour of the US. It will be 1988 when they play in North America again.
Alvin's third solo album, Pump Iron, is released.

1976:
Alvin prepares an album called Saguitar but decides not to release it. Most of the songs are eventually used on other recordings.

1977:
TYA sans Ric Lee get back together in Alvin's studio but no album is ever released as the band decided it wasn't TYA if it wasn't all four original members

1978:
Alvin puts together a powerhouse trio with Mick Hawksworth on bass and Tom Compton on drums and TEN YEARS LATER is born. They release Rocket Fuel. Chrysalis Records releases "Let it Rock"

1979:
Ride On, the second TYL album, is released.

1980:
Alvin changes musical direction again and forms Alvin Lee Band. Free Fall is released

1981:
RX5 is released, also with Alvin Lee Band

1983:
Alvin reunites with TYA for the 20th Anniversary of the Marquee Club, as well as a festival in Reading. Nothing more comes of the brief reunion, but a video "Live at the Marquee" and later a CD "Live at Reading" are released.

1985:
After an absence from recording of several years, Alvin is back with a brilliant rock album "Detroit Diesel"

1988:
An instrumental by Alvin, "No Limit" is a stand-out on the Guitar Speak LP.
Ten Years After is brought back together for a series of summer festivals. Playing to large enthusiastic audiences, they decide to keep the reunion going.

1989:
August: About Time is released.
October: TYA tour the US

1991:
Deciding their reunion was no longer "fun", the members of TYA go their separate ways again.
Chrysalis releases the Essential Ten Years After, which becomes the definitive compilation album.

1992:
Alvin is back recording "solo". Zoom is released.

1993:
Rockspective, a video featuring unreleased TYA/Alvin Lee clips and an in-depth interview with Alvin, is released.

1994:
The CD 1994 is released in Europe early in the year. It follows in the US in November, under the title I Hear You Rockin' . Alvin tours the U.S. with Nine Below Zero as his back-up band.

1995:
Pure Blues, a compilation CD of both Alvin Lee and Ten Years After songs, is released.

1996:
Live in Vienna by Alvin Lee is released. Detroit Diesel is reissued on CD.
Alvin tours the USA as part of the Best of British Blues

1997:
May/June: Ten Years After reunite to play three Scandinavian rock festivals. They decided to "warm-up" for the gigs by playing Brazil for the first time in their careers.
October: A compilation of Alvin Lee & TYA titles is released, SOLID ROCK. It contains three previously unreleased titles.

1998:
The year begins with all original TYA members – Alvin Lee, Leo Lyons, Ric Lee and Chick Churchill - signing with a new manager.
August: They play various festivals, including making a triumphant return to the United States to play at "A Day At The Garden", a three day music festival held on the same field in Bethel NY as the original Woodstock Festival of 1969.
November: Repertoire Records reissues "In Flight" and "Pump Iron" on CD

1999:
January: Repertoire releases "Let it Rock", "FreeFall" and "RX5" on CD
Summer: TYA take to the festival circuit in Europe again.
August/Sept: TYA tour the United States
Around this time, your webmaster had the honor of seeing Mr. Lee at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida and became a very happy man!

2000:
Once again, TYA go their separate ways. Alvin goes back on the road with Alvin Lee Band.

2001:
EMI Records releases Ten Years After - Live at the Fillmore East and re-masters and reissues several of the band's albums with bonus tracks

2002:
Alvin Lee - The Anthology is released

2003:
Alvin travels to Nashville to record with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana of the original Elvis Presley band

2004:
In Tennessee is released. Alvin returns to touring with an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, including a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall

2007:
Saguitar is released.

bios and chrono from www.alvinlee.com (thanks)