ALBERT LEE INTERVIEW
(Originally aired on August 19, 2010)
When Albert Lee took the stage with his buddy and former bandleader Eric Clapton this summer at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival, he was also celebrating his 50th year as a professional guitarist. Like the warp-speed solos he spins so effortlessly, Lee’s musical odyssey has an unusually long arc. In addition to being a founding member of the pioneering late-’60s country-rock band, Head Hands & Feet, Lee backed Clapton for five years in the late ’70s, and has toured and recorded with the Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris, the Crickets and Joe Cocker. He’s also a veteran of countless sessions in London, Nashville and Los Angeles.
As a young man in his native England, Lee was inspired by Jimmy Bryant, Cliff Gallup, Scotty Moore and James Burton to forge his own white-knuckle picking style from elements of hot-rod country and rockabilly. In our exclusive interview, Lee describes discovering guitar in England, at a time when rock 'n' roll was just emerging in the UK and American electric instruments weren't yet available. We'll hear Lee discuss his soloing technique and hear tracks from his solo records.