# Alvin Lee, RIP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224 "2013-03-06T20:29:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/1 "2013-03-06T20:29:07Z")
Announced on his website: [http://www.alvinlee.com/](http://www.alvinlee.com/) > [@](#): > > \*WITH GREAT SADNESS WE HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THAT > ALVIN UNEXPECTEDLY PASSED AWAY EARLY THIS MORNING > AFTER UNFORSEEN COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING A ROUTINE SURGICAL PROCEDURE. > > WE HAVE LOST A WONDERFUL MUCH LOVED FATHER AND COMPANION, > THE WORLD HAS LOST A TRULY GREAT AND GIFTED MUSICIAN. \* One of the stars of Woodstock and responsible for some really great space-boogie albums…thanks for the music, Alvin. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/2 "2013-03-06T20:30:07Z")
Wow. Sad news indeed. He’s goin’ home… ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/3 "2013-03-06T20:32:15Z")
☹ [RIP](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5M5xljdCI&feature=share) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/4 "2013-03-06T20:39:27Z")
I met him twice. The first time, he let me hold and play this amazing Peter Max-Beatles Yellow Submarine-Les Paul; it had mother of pearl inlays in the frets that were various characters from the film with the Beatles on the body of the guitar. It played like a dream; even better than my own Les Paul! When he told me it was worth about US$80,000 I quickly handed it back to him and jokingly scolded him for letting a scruffy stranger like myself handle it. We laughed and he said he was always happy to “talk guitars.” The second time, I reminded him of that incident and he remembered it too. Said he still had the guitar but didn’t bring it out on the road anymore because he realized that, yeah, it was kind of stupid to be carting nearly US$100,000 around with him, insurance or no. I agreed. He was a helluva guitar player and a truly magnanimous human being. He will be missed. RIP Alvin ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/5 "2013-03-06T21:24:22Z")
Cool story, Bo. He had his moment and delivered. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/6 "2013-03-07T01:24:33Z")
Shit. RIP For all you new guitar players… [this is how you do it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5M5xljdCI) sniffle… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/7 "2013-03-07T01:41:48Z")
I’d love to change the world… RIP ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/8 "2013-03-07T01:51:39Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I met him twice. > > The first time, he let me hold and play this amazing Peter Max-Beatles Yellow Submarine-Les Paul; it had mother of pearl inlays in the frets that were various characters from the film with the Beatles on the body of the guitar. It played like a dream; even better than my own Les Paul! When he told me it was worth about US$80,000 I quickly handed it back to him and jokingly scolded him for letting a scruffy stranger like myself handle it. > > RIP Alvin A great memory, Bo, thanks for sharing. On a related note, I’d like to place a bounty of one (1) internet on the finding of and linking to a picture of said guitar. I’ve used all my google-fu, and it was weak. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/9 "2013-03-07T02:24:17Z")
Well that sucks. Some more Alvin Lee pyrotechnics on Woody Herman’s [Woodchopper’s Ball](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxPrIHnS2fM) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/10 "2013-03-07T03:22:20Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > A great memory, Bo, thanks for sharing. > > On a related note, I’d like to place a bounty of one (1) internet on the finding of and linking to a picture of said guitar. I’ve used all my google-fu, and it was weak. I looked quite a bit too, but I couldn’t find that guitar. Curious because it was certainly a piece of art as well as an artist’s tool. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/11 "2013-03-07T05:44:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I looked quite a bit too, but I couldn’t find that guitar. Curious because it was certainly a piece of art as well as an artist’s tool. It surely sounds like one. I’ve been looking at guitars a lot recently. Something that is art that can be used to create art, something useful that is beautiful, what’s not to love? ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/12 "2013-03-07T07:21:44Z")
I will think fondly of him anytime I’m heading toward my domicile. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/13 "2013-03-07T12:50:04Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > I will think fondly of him anytime I’m heading toward my domicile. To have an assignation with a loved one? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alvin-lee-rip/652224/14 "2013-03-07T13:42:36Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Shit. > > RIP > > For all you new guitar players… [this is how you do it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5M5xljdCI) > > sniffle… Ah. WONDERFUL. The best part of the Woodstock movie, which I saw back in the day about 10 times, and the other acts were good, some were great, but Ten Years After just blew me away. It just built…and built…and exploded. Like sex for your ears! RIP!