John Lee's Groundhogs

Formed in England 1963, The Groundhogs was a British blues rock band led by guitarist Tony ‘T.S.’ McPhee (born March 23, 1944, in Humberston, Lincolnshire, England). The group’s origins began in 1962 when brothers Pete and John Cruickshank formed the group The Dollar Bills. Tony McPhee, who had been playing lead guitar with The Seneshals, joined the group later in the year. Tony McPhee later convinced the Cruickshank brothers to pursue a blues-oriented musical direction. The group changed their name to John Lee’s Groundhogs when they supported blues great John Lee Hooker during a UK tour in 1964, eventually settling on The Groundhogs. They continued to back several other blues artists that toured England including Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, and Champion Jack Dupree. By the time The Groundhogs recorded their debut album, Scratchin’ the Surface (1968), the group had undergone a line-up change, which would be a regular occurrence for the remainder of their career. The group quickly followed their debut album with Blues Obituary (1969) and Thank Christ for the Bomb (1970), which reached Number 9 on the UK Albums chart. Their next album, Split, rose to Number 5 as the band became a popular live act. In 1972, they released the album Who Will Save the World? The Mighty Groundhogs, which landed at Number 8 on the UK Albums chart and Number 202 in the US. 1972’s Hogwash didn’t fare as well on the charts but Solid (1974) reached Number 31 in the UK. While not as commercially successful, The Groundhogs released two albums in 1976: Crosscut Saw and Black Diamond. With Tony McPhee as the only remaining member from their debut album, the group continued to play live before returning with the albums Razor’s Edge (1985) and Back Against the Wall (1987). Tony McPhee kept the Groundhogs alive by continuing to play the blues circuit and releasing several live albums in the process. The group then released two tribute albums - Hogs in Wolf's Clothing (1998) and The Muddy Waters Song Book (1999) – before touring with Johnny Winter and Alvin Lee in 2004, and then with Focus and Wishbone Ash in 2007. Tony McPhee suffered a heart attack in 2009 and five years later, The Groundhogs were no more. During his tenure as leader of The Groundhogs, Tony McPhee also managed to release several studio and live releases under his own name while still fronting The Groundhogs. Tony McPhee died on June 9, 2023, at the age of 79.