Alex Harvey (musician)
| Alex Harvey | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alexander James Harvey |
| Born |
5 February 1935 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 4 February 1982 (aged 46) Zeebrugge, Belgium |
| Genres | Rock, blues rock, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1954–1982 |
| Labels | Vertigo, Polygram, Buddah |
| Associated acts | The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The Alex Harvey Soul Band, Rock Workshop, New Band, Giant Moth |
| The Sensational Alex Harvey Band | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | SAHB |
| Genres | Rock, hard rock, glam rock |
| Years active | 1972–1978 |
| Labels | Vertigo, Universal International |
| Associated acts | Tear Gas, SAHB ... without Alex |
| Website | sahbofficial |
| Past members | Alex Harvey Zal Cleminson Chris Glen Hugh McKenna Ted McKenna |
Alexander James "Alex" Harvey (5 February 1935 – 4 February 1982) was a Scottish blues/rock musician. Although Harvey's career spanned almost three decades he is best remembered as the frontman of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, with whom he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the era of glam rock in the 1970s.
Harvey was born in the Kinning Park district of Glasgow, a working-class neighbourhood, where he grew up. By his own account, he worked in a number of jobs, from carpentry to being a waiter at a restaurant to carving tombstones, before finding success in music. He first began performing in skiffle groups in 1954. On Friday, 20 May 1960, at the Town Hall in Alloa, Alex Harvey and his Big Beat Band opened for Johnny Gentle and His Group, "His Group" being the Beatles (John, Paul, George, Stuart Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore), on this the opening night – and biggest audience – of the Beatles' seven-date tour of Scotland with Gentle.
His musical roots were in Dixieland jazz and skiffle music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in Britain during the late 1950s. From 1958 until 1965, he was the leader of Alex Harvey's Big Soul Band, playing blues and rock and roll songs and spending considerable time touring in the United Kingdom and Germany. He also won a competition that sought "Scotland's answer to Tommy Steele". Harvey became strongly identified with British rhythm and blues music, although he was equally able to play rock songs.
After leaving the Big Soul Band, he briefly tried for a solo career but with little success. By 1967, he found a positive direction for his career, when he became a member of the pit band in the London stage production of the musical Hair. This band recorded the live album Hair Rave Up, which contained Harvey originals and other songs not from the stage show. In 1970, Harvey formed Rock Workshop with Ray Russell; their first, self-titled album contained an early version of "Hole in Her Stocking", later to appear on Framed. Harvey remained with Hair for five years.
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