Wes McGhee

Wes McGhee (26 October 1948 – 24 January 2026) was a British country music musician and producer. Beginning his career as a member of a series of bands in the 1960s, he recorded as a solo artist from the 1970s onwards, releasing nine studio albums.

Early Life Wes McGhee was born in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, the son of Victor McGhee, a civil engineer and church organist, and Raymonde, a draughtswoman. At school he mixed with American children from families based at the nearby RAF Bruntingthorpe, exposing him to American music from an early age. He began playing guitar at the age of 9.

Career McGhee formed his first band at the age of 13. After leaving school he played in a number of bands, including The Desperados and Grizelda, relocating to London to pursue further opportunities. In 1971 he teamed up with electronics engineer Keith Lutman to record a self-financed album, subsequently securing a solo record deal in the UK with a subsidiary of Pye Records, although the label's lack of enthusiasm for his fusion of country and psychedelic rock meant that nothing was released. He did, however, record a solo Peel session in 1986.

McGhee's first album, Long Nights and Banjo Music, recorded in London with Avid Anderson, was released in 1978 on his own Terrapin Records label. later that year, he travelled to California and then Austin, Texas for a two-week holiday, but ended up staying for eight months, collaborating with local musicians.

McGhee wrote the score for the 1979 Children's Film Foundation production Big Wheels and Sailor, as well as the soundtrack to the Channel 4 documentary Voices in Exile in 1998. .

Neon and Dust, a compilation of tracks from McGhee's earlier albums, was released in 1990.

In 1994, McGhee released his first solo album for 8 years, Border Guitars. This was followed three years later with Backbeat. Further solo albums followed in the 21st century.

For much of his career, McGhee split his time between London and Texas.

In 2006, he released a joint album, Night Ride To Birmingham, with singer-songwriter Terry Clarke.

Death McGhee died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in January 2026, aged 77. He was survived by his wife, Carolyn, daughter, Renee, and sister, Yvonne.

Discography Solo Albums Studio Long Nights And Banjo Music (1978), Terrapin Airmail (1980), Terrapin Landing Lights (1983), TRP Zacatecas (1986), TRP Border Guitars (1994), The Road Goes On Forever Backbeat (1997), The Road Goes On Forever Mexico (2002), Terrapin Blue Blue Night (2005), Terrapin Comala (2017), Terrapin

Live ...Thanks For The Chicken! (1985), Terrapin

Compilations Neon & Dust (1990), Minidoka Heartache Avenue (1996), The Road Goes On Forever Bead Mountain, Bad Roads & Borders, SteadyBoy/Terrapin

Singles "Whisky Is My Driver" (1981), Terrapin "Mezcal Road" (1984), TRP "I'll Be thinking Of You" (1984), TRP

With Terry Clarke Night Ride To Birmingham (2004)

With Freddie Steady's Wild Country Albums Lucky 7 (1987), Amazing Ten Dollar Gun (2008), SteadyBoy Pass That Jug! (2026), SteadyBoy

Singles "(I Hear) Neon Angels Sing" (1988), Amazing