Ten Years After frontman Alvin Lee has died, aged 68.

The rocker unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday morning (06Mar13) from unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure, according to a post on his official website.

The message reads: "We have lost a wonderful and much loved father and companion, the world has lost a truly great and gifted musician."

Lee and his group became international stars after word spread of their stand-out performance at the Woodstock festival in New York in 1969.

Born in Nottingham, England in 1944, he founded Ten Years After in the mid-1960s with bassist Leo Lyons. The blues-rock band released its first album in 1967. Hit releases Stonedhenge and Ssssh followed before the group split in 1973, and Lee went on to find solo success. His last album, Still On The Road To Freedom, was released last year (12).