Dave Rowberry
| Dave Rowberry | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | David Eric Rowberry |
| Born |
4 July 1940 Mapperley, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom |
| Died | 6 June 2003 (aged 62) Hackney, East London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Rock and roll, R&B, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1960s–2003 |
| Labels | Mouse Records |
| Associated acts | The Animals, Mike Cotton, Shut Up Frank |
David Eric "Dave" Rowberry (4 July 1940 – 6 June 2003) was an English piano and organ player, most known for being a member of the rock and R&B group The Animals in the 1960s.
Born in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, Rowberry entered the Newcastle-upon-Tyne blues and jazz music scene in the early 1960s, when he was at Newcastle University. He joined The Mike Cotton Jazzmen (later The Mike Cotton Sound) in 1962, who made a living backing American blues and pop acts touring England, including Solomon Burke, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops and Gene Pitney. Rowberry played on the group's singles 1962-1965, including their hit, "Swing That Hammer", as well as their self-titled album.
The Animals were already one of the major British Invasion groups in May 1965 when founding keyboardist Alan Price suddenly left due to fear of flying and other issues. According to lead singer Eric Burdon, Rowberry, while considered a good musician, was chosen partly because of his passing physical resemblance to Price. Keyboardist Zoot Money, who became a full-time member of a later configuration of the band, claims that he was approached first, and Rowberry only selected as a second choice.(citation required)
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