Dave Clark (musician)
| Dave Clark | |
|---|---|
Clark in a 1965 US television appearance
with the Dave Clark Five |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Clark |
| Born |
15 December 1939 or 15 December 1942 Tottenham, North London, England |
| Genres | Beat music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Drummer, vocalist |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Associated acts | The Dave Clark Five |
David 'Dave' Clark (born 15 December 1939 or 1942) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur. He was the leader, drummer and manager of the 1960s beat group the Dave Clark Five, the first British Invasion band to follow the Beatles to America in 1964. In 2008 Clark and his band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Born in Tottenham, North London, Clark left school without qualifications at the age of 15 and became a film stuntman, performing in over 40 films. In the late 1950s Clark bought himself a set of drums, taught himself how to play them, and formed a skiffle band to raise funds so that his football team could travel to the Netherlands.
The skiffle band grew into the Dave Clark Five with Clark their leader, co-songwriter, manager and producer.
The Dave Clark Five grew in popularity in the UK. They unseated the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" from its number one spot in the UK singles charts in January 1964 with "Glad All Over". The British press, briefly, called them the Beatles' "most serious threat". The Dave Clark Five were the first British Invasion band to follow the Beatles to America in 1964, where they achieved 15 consecutive Top 20 hits. They also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more times than any other English group. Dave Clark became a popular name for babies in the 1960s.
Andrew Loog Oldham, former manager of the Rolling Stones, said of the band's early success as rivals to the Beatles:
...
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