Daviid Alexander (1929-1995)
Ian Griffin was one of David Alexander's personal accompanists and appeared on stage with him at several UK theatres, including the Grand Theatre Swansea.
David Alexander soon began putting together an act for himself. He made his debut at a local social club and left the brake factory where he worked and toured much of the United Kingdom, also working as an entertainer at Pontins.
David Alexander was the name given to Derek (Ricky) Ebdon by his manager Byron Godfrey, legal name Raymond William Godfrey an old teenage friend, after learning of the successful conclusion of Godfrey and his partner, Raymond John Glastonbury's London High Court action against Tom Jones, who they had discovered and managed. Both Godfrey and Glastonbury were also from Blackwood, together known as Myron & Byron in the music business. Godfrey, along with Tony King (musical arranger) and Johnny Caesar {songwriter/comedian) produced Alexander's first single for EMI (Columbia)"If I could see the Rhondda one more time" in 1971, through the publishing arm of their company, Million Dollar Music Co. Ltd.. It sold thousands of copies and stayed on catalogue for years (being reissued in 1975). To this day in 2015, Godfrey and Caesar still receive publishing and writing royalties for this record which elevated Alexander's career. After a less successful single for Columbia the same year ("Dream On Dreamer"), he was released without recording an album. His next single "Taste the Wine" was released on Larry Page's Penny Farthing label in 1974 which was also released across Europe.
He released his first album So Many Ways on his own label in 1975. Initial pressings were on the North West Gramophone label but later pressings and a string of other albums, singles and EPs throughout the late 70's, 80's and early 90's were released on his ACE Recordings label.
In 1980, Alexander again recorded for EMI with a single "Come Home Rhondda Boy" on Columbia and a self-titled album on their budget One-Up label. An updated version of that album was released on ACE (with eleven of the twelve original tracks and three new tracks) as Now and Then.
Alexander represented Britain at Bratislava Czechoslovakia song Festival, with Malta and Germany, amongst other countries. In 1989, he also toured Australia.
During this time, David found time to support many worthy charities that asked for his help. He ran two marathons and a half marathon in one year to raise several thousand pounds required by a Walton school (Liverpool) for their Sunshine Coach appeal. He continued to raise money for charities such as Cystic Fybrosis research, Alder Hey Children's Hospital and during one show, he managed to raise £1,000 to send one of the children to Disney World.
In 1991, Alexander settled in Tenerife with Penny Page, whom he had met in 1976 and married in 1981. Alexander enjoyed golf and often sang in bars and clubs in and around Tenerife when he was not performing in the UK.
In November 1994, Alexander was rushed into hospital and diagnosed with cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart). He was advised by doctors to limit his workload. On the morning of 4 February 1995, he suffered a heart attack and died in Tenerife at the age of 56.
His death was a massive shock to Ian Griffin who work closely with him for quite some time in the 1990's
Source: Wikipedia.
