About Ric Lee

Ric began playing drums and percussion at junior school and joined two mates to form The Falcons. Following this, Ric was asked to join a promising local group, Ricky Storm and the Stormcats. At the same time, Ric met and studied with Dave Quickmire, drummer with the hottest group in the area, The Jaybirds. The guitarist was Alvin Lee and the bassist, Leo Lyons.

When Dave left The Jaybirds to get married, he insisted Ric audition with The Jaybirds and Ric immediately took over the drum chair. Chick Churchill joined later, at first as Road Manager, but soon became keyboard player when the group became the backing musicians for the hit vocal act, The Ivy League.

In 1968, after an audition at London's famous Marquee Club under the name The Bluesyard (the only gig the group ever performed under this name), the quartet became the highly successful rock group, TEN YEARS AFTER and received a standing ovation at the Windsor Blues and Jazz Festival which helped them secure their first record deal with Decca Record’s Deram label.

In 1969 TEN YEARS AFTER were the hit of the WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL. The following year the Film of the Festival was released. TEN YEARS AFTER received standing ovations in the cinemas for their performance. The band toured the world extensively, including Western Europe, Japan and 28 tours of the USA in 8 years,

For about 18 months, commencing in 1980, Ric joined Stan Webb in the thirteenth incarnation of Chicken Shack, a sixties blues group that had a UK number one record "I'd Rather Go Blind" which was sung by Christine Perfect who went on to world fame with "Fleetwood Mac". Chicken Shack toured the UK and Europe many times in this short period and made an album for RCA Records, "Roadies' Concerto".

TEN YEARS AFTER re-formed again in 1983 and during the short "rebirth", Ric managed the group; negotiated contracts, arranged publicity, organised travel and performance budgets, in addition to playing the kit! The band re-formed yet again in 1988 and recorded a new album "About Time" in Memphis, Tennessee and spent the next four years touring Europe, the US and selected dates in the UK performing to sell-out crowds.

In 1994, Ric formed THE BREAKERS with long time friend and bass player/vocalist, Ian Ellis. Their first studio album "MILAN" was released in July 1995 and The Breakers guested, along with Bryan Adams and Bonnie Raitt, on NBC Super Channel’s “Talking Blues” programme, which aired in Europe in March 1996.

Another of Ric's winning projects around the middle nineties was the production of a series of ambient albums, the most successful of which was "Spirit of Africa". This album, due for re-launch in the near future, has sold in excess of 50,000 units in Europe alone.

Since then, Ric worked again with TEN YEARS AFTER, touring and performing at Festivals in America, Brazil and Europe. Lately he has been involved in finding "gems" of "lost" recordings of the band, re-mastering them, writing the sleeve notes and helping the companies involved re-issue and promote the products. In October 2001, Ric recorded an album in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, with LLC (Lyons, Lee, Converse or Limited Liability Corporation), with Leo Lyons and Texan guitar slinger Vince Converse. The album is due for release in the near future. One track “Bad as Jesse James” was specially recorded during the sessions for inclusion on "From Clarksdale to Heaven", a tribute to the veteran blues man John Lee Hooker. This album also includes contributions by guitarists Jeff Beck and Gary Moore.

Married with two young children, Ric lives in the Derbyshire Dales, where he and his wife run a highly successful holiday letting business. Ric is also writing his autobiography, a novel and spends the rest of his time helping youngsters learn to play drums and percussion.

2002 saw the re-launch of TEN YEARS AFTER. Together with his old friends Leo Lyons and Chick Churchill, Ric was offered the chance to tour Europe with blues guitarist Carvin Jones, in April of that year. This chance re-union offered the team the insight into the demand for Ten Years After performances and product and led to the formation of the new touring/recording line-up, which now includes 25 year old phenomenon, Joe Gooch, in the seat vacated by Alvin Lee. The new line-up toured UK and Europe throughout 2002/3, released a live album "One Night Jammed" and has just released its first studio recording "Ten Years After……Now".

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