The singer and guitarist for The Groundhogs, Tony McPhee, has died at the age of 79.

He led the British blues and rock group on and off across six decades from 1962 to 2015, earning three UK top 10 albums in the process.

A statement was posted on the band's Facebook page which 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 & Victor and loving sister Olive."

McPhee was embedded in the British blues scene in the early 1960s, where he ended up joining a south London group called the Dollar Bills in 1962, The Guardian reports.

They were renamed The Groundhogs not long after and it was in 1964 when they got the big break.

This occurred when John Mayall and his band were unable to back visiting US blues star John Lee Hooker on a UK tour date, and the Groundhogs were deputised.

Hooker then rehired them for another tour the year after, and recorded an acclaimed album with them; Hooker and the Hogs.

McPhee's career with The Groundhogs

For a period of time, The Groundhogs became a go-to band for other touring blues artists, such as Little Walter and Jimmy Reed.

The band did then split briefly but was revived by McPhee and bassist Pete Cruickshank with the group's debut album arriving in 1968.

This was perhaps the band's most successful period as they had three back-to-back UK top 10 albums in the early 1970s and supported the Rolling Stones on a 1971 tour.

The group’s lineup changed during the rest of the 70s with McPhee remaining at its core, with another four albums by 1976, before they disbanded.

Another McPhee-led incarnation began in the mid-1980s, where they put out two studio albums.

In 2003, The Groundhogs celebrated 40 years with a reunion of McPhee, Cruickshank and drummer Ken Pustelnik who had been behind their hit 70s albums.

Later in life McPhee played with the cult group Current 93 and collaborated frequently with vocalist Joanna Deacon.

In 2009, the first of the strokes McPhee suffered damaged his ability to sing, and he eventually retired from the group in 2015.