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David Byron
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{{Short description|British singer (1947β1985)}} {{Other people|David Garrick}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = David Byron | image = David Byron - Stormtrooper.jpg | birth_name = David Garrick | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1947|1|29}} | birth_place = [[Epping, Essex]], [[England]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1985|2|28|1947|1|21}} | death_place = [[Berkshire]], England | years_active = 1961β1985 | genre = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]|[[progressive rock]]|[[art rock]]|[[soft rock]]|[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]}} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | past_member_of = {{hlist|[[Spice (British band)|Spice]]|[[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]]|Rough Diamond|The Byron Band}} }} '''David Garrick''' (29 January 1947 β 28 February 1985), better known by his stage name '''David Byron''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://users.efortress.com/doc-rock/1980.html |title=eFortress.com |publisher=Users.efortress.com |access-date=23 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115542/http://users.efortress.com/doc-rock/1980.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> was a British singer who was best known in the early 1970s as the original lead vocalist of the rock band [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=212}}</ref> Byron possessed a powerful operatic voice and a flamboyant stage presence. ==Early life (1958β1969)== David Byron was educated at [[Forest School, Walthamstow]], from 1958 to 1964, where, as a popular pupil he excelled at sports and was in the school's 1st eleven football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forestschoolheritage.daisy.websds.net/|title=Forest School Archive|website=Forestschoolheritage.daisy.webds.net|access-date=15 May 2020}} {{registration required|date=May 2020}}</ref> From the mid-1960s to early 1970s, he did session work for a company called Avenue Recordings, singing lead and backing vocals (occasionally along with [[Mick Box]] on guitar and [[Paul Newton (musician)|Paul Newton]] on bass). These were cover versions of Top 20 hits and were released on EPs and LPs. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://forestschoolheritage.daisy.websds.net/|title=David Byron: Pure Heart, Pure Art, Pure Performer | publisher=Alchemists Publishing poted on issuu.com |date=June 2018 |work=Rock Legend News|access-date=2023-07-01}}</ref> His first venture into professional music was with an [[Epping, Essex|Epping]]-based semi-pro band called The Stalkers, which also featured Box.<ref name="Larkin"/> Byron and Box then teamed up to form the band [[Spice (British band)|Spice]] (1967β1969), which also featured Newton on bass and Alex Napier on drums. Before settling on the name Spice other names were considered including 'The Play' and a handful of acetates exist of unreleased tracks recorded at the time and credited to 'The Play'. The band gigged extensively locally under the management of Paul Newton's father and they secured a recording deal with [[United Artists]], which issued the band's only single "What About The Music/In Love"; copies of which now fetch around $50 to $100 on the collectors' market. Deciding that the Spice sound would require keyboards, they recruited keyboardist/guitarist/singer/songwriter [[Ken Hensley]], who was Newton's bandmate in [[The Gods (band)|The Gods]]. During this time, Byron renamed the band Uriah Heep from the [[Charles Dickens]] novel ''[[David Copperfield]]''. ==With Uriah Heep 1969β1976== [[File:Uriah Heep Mercury Records 1972 promotional image.jpg|thumb|Uriah Heep in 1972 <br />LβR: [[Ken Hensley]], [[Mick Box]], [[Gary Thain]], David Byron and [[Lee Kerslake]]]] Byron sang on ten Uriah Heep albums: ''Very 'eavy Very 'Umble'', ''Salisbury'', ''Look at Yourself'', ''Demons and Wizards'', ''The Magician's Birthday'', ''Live'', ''Sweet Freedom'', ''Wonderworld'', ''Return To Fantasy'', and ''High and Mighty''. In 1975, Byron released his first solo album, ''Take No Prisoners'', which also featured fellow Heep members Box, Hensley and [[Lee Kerslake]]. Byron also gained a reputation for hard drinking, which eventually led to him being sacked from Uriah Heep at the end of a Spanish tour in July 1976.<ref name="Larkin"/> Hensley said at the time, "David was one of those classic people who couldn't face up to the fact that things were wrong and he looked for solace in a bottle." Ahead of his dismissal, Uriah Heep had secured [[John Lawton (musician)|John Lawton]] as replacement singer. Their manager at the time, [[Gerry Bron]], said Byron had been released in "the best interest of the group". Bron explained that Byron and the other Uriah Heep members had been in disagreement for some time over fundamental issues of group policy, and that the differences had been finally brought to a head following the band's recent tour of Britain and Europe. "It was felt by the rest of the group that they could no longer reconcile David's attitude with their own," commented Bron.<ref>"Uriah Sack Byron", ''New Musical Express'', July 1976</ref> ==Later career (1975β1984)== [[File:David Byron.jpg|thumb|Ad from 1975]] Byron recorded three solo albums: ''Take No Prisoners'' in 1975, ''Baby Faced Killer'' in 1978, and ''That Was Only Yesterday'', which was recorded in 1984, one year before his death.<ref name="Larkin"/> During this period, Byron teamed up with former Colosseum / [[Humble Pie]] guitarist [[Clem Clempson]] and former [[Wings]] drummer [[Geoff Britton]] to form Rough Diamond. They recorded one [[Rough Diamond (album)|self-titled LP]] for [[Island Records]] in March 1977. The album sold poorly and Byron quit.<ref name="Larkin"/> Next, Byron got together with guitarist Robin George to form The Byron Band, which was signed to [[Creole Records]] (a label which was perhaps an inapposite choice since it specialised in early reggae, showcasing artists like [[Sugar Minott]] and [[Max Romeo]]) and debuted with the single "Every Inch of the Way"/"Routine" (CR 8). This was followed by the single "Never Say Die"/"Tired Eyes", before the release of the 1981 album ''[[On the Rocks (The Byron Band album)|On the Rocks]]'' (CRX 2). However, as with his previous band Rough Diamond, neither critical nor commercial acclaim was forthcoming.<ref name="Larkin"/> Box and [[Trevor Bolder]] invited Byron to re-join Uriah Heep in 1981, after Ken Hensley had left, but Byron refused.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66nl_u8yJBA |title=I wanted David Byron to REJOIN Uriah Heep! HE WOULDN'T LISTEN! |date=Jan 19, 2023 |type=Podcast |language=en |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> ''[[Lost and Found (David Byron album)|Lost and Found]]'' is a [[double album]] that included demos and live recordings by the Byron Band, which spanned from 1980 to 1982. It also includes a Robin George solo track. ==Death and legacy== Byron died of [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]-related complications, including liver disease and seizures, at his home in Berkshire on 28 February 1985.<ref name="amg">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p16224/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=David Byron (Biography)|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=21 December 2009}}</ref><ref name="probate">{{cite web |title=England & Wales Government Probate Death Index |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBOR/GOVPROBATE/C/1985-1985/00032832 |website=www.findmypast.co.uk |access-date=22 September 2020}}</ref> On [[BBC Radio]]'s The ''[[Friday Rock Show]]'', [[Tommy Vance]] played "[[July Morning (song)|July Morning]]" in tribute. On the ''[[Equator (Uriah Heep album)|Equator]]'' tour, around the time of Byron's death, Uriah Heep dedicated "[[The Wizard (Uriah Heep song)|The Wizard]]" to him. There were also tributes to him and deceased bassist [[Gary Thain]] on the 1998 album ''[[Sonic Origami]]''. The opening track, "Between Two Worlds", is dedicated to David Byron and Gary Thain, both members of Uriah Heep who died at a young age. ==Discography== ===Solo albums=== * ''[[Take No Prisoners (David Byron album)|Take No Prisoners]]'' β 1975 * ''[[Baby Faced Killer]]'' β 1978 * ''[[That Was Only Yesterday β The Last EP]]'' β recorded 1984, released 2008 ===with the Byron Band=== * ''[[On the Rocks (The Byron Band album)|On the Rocks]]'' β 1981 * ''[[Lost and Found (David Byron album)|Lost and Found]]'' β recorded 1980β82, released 2003 ===with Uriah Heep=== * ''[[Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble]]'' β 1970 * ''[[Salisbury (album)|Salisbury]]'' β 1971 * ''[[Look at Yourself (Uriah Heep album)|Look at Yourself]]'' β 1971 * ''[[Demons and Wizards (Uriah Heep album)|Demons and Wizards]]'' β 1972 * ''[[The Magician's Birthday]]'' β 1972 * ''[[Uriah Heep Live]]'' β 1973 * ''[[Sweet Freedom (Uriah Heep album)|Sweet Freedom]]'' β 1973 * ''[[Wonderworld (album)|Wonderworld]]'' β 1974 * ''[[Return to Fantasy]]'' β 1975 * ''[[High and Mighty (album)|High and Mighty]]'' β 1976 * ''[[Live at Shepperton '74]]'' β recorded 1974, released 1986 * ''[[The Lansdowne Tapes]]'' β recorded 1969β71, released 1993 ===with Rough Diamond=== * ''[[Rough Diamond (album)|Rough Diamond]]'' β 1977 == Footnotes == {{notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.uriah-heep.com/ Uriah Heep official website] * {{discogs artist|David Byron}} * {{imdb name|0126380}} {{Uriah Heep}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Byron, David}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:1985 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century English male singers]] [[Category:20th-century English singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English male rock singers]] [[Category:English male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English heavy metal singers]] [[Category:English tenors]] [[Category:Uriah Heep (band) members]] [[Category:Musicians from Epping]] [[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in England]] [[Category:Bronze Records artists]]
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