Groundhogs guitarist and vocalist Tony McPhee has died after suffering complications from a nasty fall last year.
The veteran rocker - who worked with the blues and rock group for more than six decades - is said to have died "peacefully at home" on Tuesday (06.06.23) at the age of 79 with a message from the band confirming the tragedy was linked to an accident he suffered back in 2022.
A statement posted on the Groundhogs' Facebook page read: "We are deeply saddened to announce that 79 year old guitar and blues legend Tony (TS) McPhee, died peacefully at home today 6th June, from complications following a fall last year.
"He is survived by his devoted wife Joanna, sons Conan Vincent, grandchildren Scarlett and Victor and loving sister Olive."
McPhee suffered a number of strokes in recent years which affected his singing ability and he retired from the Groundhogs in 2019.
The rocker helped found the band back in the 1960s with the band originally being named the Dollar Bills before being renamed the Groundhogs.
They got a big break supporting John Lee Hooker on a UK tour and went on to release an album with him in 1965 called 'Hooker and the Hogs'.
The band split in the mid-1960s with McPhee going on to work on solo tracks with Jimmy Page and performing alongside with Eric Clapton as part of Champion Jack Dupree's backing band on the album 'From New Orleans to Chicago'.
McPhee reunited with Groundhogs bassist Pete Cruickshank to form a band called Herbal Mixture, supporting the Jeff Beck Group on tour, before reforming the Groundhogs to release the band's debut album 'Scratching the Surface' in 1968.
They went on to release more than 10 more albums over the years and supported the Rolling Stones on a 1971 tour while McPhee also dropped a number of his own solo records.
In later years, McPhee also worked with the band Current 93 as well as Underworld star Karl Hyde.
