When you think of the greats of rock music, a few names are synonymous. Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris, Joe Cocker, the Everly Brothers for a few, are renowned the world over. They have changed the way the audience listens forever, and they all had one common denominator: the legendary guitarist Albert Lee— who you can see at The Bay Theatre April 25 at 8 p.m.— working with them.
Under the dreary, cold skies of Lingen, England, Albert Lee was born on Dec. 21, 1943. A decade and some years later, Lee picked up the love of his life— the guitar. “I borrowed guitars from school friends for a while, and eventually got a Hofner archtop. In 1959, I traded it for a ‘solidbody’ with three pickups and a tremolo. It looked like what Buddy Holly was playing, so I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s the real thing.’ But it wasn’t – it was made in Czechoslovakia,” Lee states in a 2010 interview with Guitar Player magazine. Lee plays with a distinct style of guitar-playing called “fingerstyle,” in which the musician “[plucks the] individual strings in a chord instead of strumming them,” according to JustInGuitar. Since then, Lee made the jump to professional gear— then, the marathon was on.
Lee has performed with some of the greats in music history, including the extraordinary guitarist Eric Clapton. Clapton is known for his “achingly honest, often brilliant blues-laden solos [which] continue to explore the eternal conflict between passion and pain,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in which he was inducted in 2000. While many have worked with Clapton over the decades, nobody is like Lee because of one notion entirely— that he plays completely different than Clapton. In a BBC Radio interview, Lee states that he “can [not] [play] the way he does.” But even with each other’s distinct styles of playing, the two created a collaboration for the ages, jamming out together for five years since 1978. Clapton even went on to quip that Lee is “the greatest guitarist in the world. The ultimate virtuoso,” according to Far Out Magazine.
Lee is a legend in music, and has been awarded for it. He has been Grammy-nominated five times, and won two— both for Best Country Instrumental Performance, one for the song “Cluster Puck,” and the other for “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
Now, he is currently on tour for his album “Lay It Down,” which he calls “a love letter to some of [his] favourite artists and biggest inspirations,” on his website. The album is being heralded as a “triumphant return to the studio, recording live, as one of the greatest guitarists ever,” according to Alberta Rose Theater. And now, you can hear it LIVE!
The exceptional Albert Lee will be playing his newest album (and then some) at The Bay Theatre on April 25 at 8 p.m. Opening for him is the incredible duo of singer-songwriter Alice Howe and rock bass legend Freebo, performing their new album “Alice Howe & Freebo Live.” The Bay Theatre is Seal Beach’s premiere independent theatre, offering exceptional entertainment since 2025. Doors open at 7 P.M. You can purchase tickets at www.baytheatre.com, or at the box office, open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., or one hour before showtime.
You do not want to miss this legendary concert on April 25, so buy tickets now!