View source for Dave Dee

{{Short description|English singer-songwriter (1941–2009)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Dave Dee
| image             = DaveDee1967 (cropped).jpg
| caption           = Dave Dee
| birth_name        = David John Harman
| alias             =
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1941|12|17|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Salisbury]], Wiltshire, England
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|2009|1|9|1941|12|17|df=y}}
| death_place       = [[Kingston upon Thames]], Surrey, England
| instrument        = Vocals, guitar
| genre             = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[rock music|rock]], [[Beat music|beat]]
| occupation        = Musician, singer-songwriter, [[A&R|A&R manager]], businessman, [[Fundraising|fundraiser]]
| years_active      = 1962–2009
| label             = Various
| associated_acts   = [[Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich]]
| website           = {{url|http://www.dddbmt.com}}
}}
'''David John Harman''', known professionally as '''Dave Dee''' (17 December 1941 – 9 January 2009),<ref name=telegraph/> was an English singer-songwriter, musician, [[A&R|A&R manager]], [[Fundraising|fundraiser]] and businessman. He was the frontman for the 1960s pop band [[Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich]].<ref name="Larkin">Larkin C 'Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}} p141</ref>
==Early life ==
Dave Dee was born in [[Salisbury, Wiltshire]], and attended Adcroft School of Building, [[Trowbridge]]. Upon leaving school he became a police cadet with the [[Wiltshire Constabulary]]. He was one of the first on the scene of the April 1960 car crash that resulted in the death of American rock and roll musician [[Eddie Cochran]] and serious injury to [[Gene Vincent]].<ref name="telegraph" /> He later recounted that he started learning to play the guitar using Cochran's impounded [[Gretsch]] over several nights at the station.<ref>{{cite web|title= Seance with a gretsch g 6120 | url = http://www.gadflyonline.com/9-10-01/music-eddie-cochran.HTML|author = Ian Kimmet|date=9 October 2001}}</ref>
==Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich==
{{main|Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich}}
Harman’s professional career as a singer started in the early 1960s when he formed the group Dave Dee and The Bostons with friends Trevor Ward-Davies, John Dymond, Michael Wilson, and Ian Amey.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich Biography |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-dee-dozy-beaky-mick-tich-mn0000683085/biography}}</ref> As The Bostons, they toured the UK and Germany and were a support act to [[The Honeycombs]] in 1964.<ref name="Larkin2">Larkin C 'Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}} p141</ref> Known for their variety act, which included comedy routines and risque comments interspersed amongst the song, they were then discovered by [[Ken Howard (composer)|Ken Howard]] and [[Alan Blaikley]]. After a disastrous audition for [[Joe Meek]] which resulted in Meek throwing his coffee all over his studio in a fit of rage due to the group not wanting to comply with his demands,<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Top of the Pops 2 - Where Are The Now? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/artists/d/dee_dave/located/page2.shtml |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> the group signed on to [[Fontana Records]], and changed their name to [[Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich]] as according to their producer [[Ken Howard (composer)|Ken Howard]]: “We changed their name to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, because they were their actual nicknames and because we wanted to stress their very distinct personalities in a climate which regarded bands as collectives”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ken Howard - Alan Blaikley - Biography |url=http://www.kenhoward-alanblaikley.com/biography/index.html |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=www.kenhoward-alanblaikley.com}}</ref>
The band’s first major selling record was [[Hold Tight (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song)|Hold Tight]]. The song peaked at number four on the [[Official Singles Chart]] (OSC)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich Official Singles Chart |website=[[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]] |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5189/Dave-Dee-Dozy-Beaky-Mick-Tich/}}</ref> and the song was performed on shows such as [[Top of the Pops]], [[Blue Peter]], and [[Beat-Club]]. Their other top-ten UK hits included "[[Hideaway (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song)|Hideaway]]", "[[Bend It!]]", "[[Save Me (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song)|Save Me]]", "[[Okay! (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song)|Okay!]]", "[[Zabadak! (song)|Zabadak!]]" and "[[Last Night in Soho (song)|Last Night in Soho]]".<ref>{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |year=2006 |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |edition=19th |location=London |page=146}}</ref> They also scored a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1968 with "[[The Legend of Xanadu]]".
Dee left the band to become a solo artist in September 1969.<ref name="Psychedelic Celluloid">{{cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Simon |title=Psychedelic Celluloid: British Pop Music in Film & TV 1965 - 1974 |date=27 October 2016 |publisher=Oldcastle Books |page=192 |isbn=9781843444589 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R_ZEDQAAQBAJ&dq=every+home+should+have+one+dave+dee&pg=PT193 |access-date=8 July 2021}}</ref> He eventually reunited with Dozy, Beaky, Micky and Tich for a 1974 single, and then later produced (but did not appear on) a 1979 single done by the DBMT quartet. Harman returned to DDDBMT in 1982, however when the group decided to migrate to [[Marbella]], [[Spain]] in 1987, Dave refused to move, and left the group.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Band Biography part 6 - 1990-now |url=http://www.dddbmt.com/eng/bio-band6.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.dddbmt.com}}</ref> He later began performing live gigs with the band again when they returned to England again after only two years, however Harman wouldn’t return to the group as a permanent member, and would occasionally appear at concerts. Harman continued to record occasionally both with DDDBMT and as a solo act.
==Solo==
Soon after leaving the group, he released the single "My Woman's Man" which reached No. 42 in the UK and No. 58 in Australia. He issued six further solo singles through the end of 1971, all of which failed to chart, and played a [[Hells Angel]] in the [[Marty Feldman]] comedy film ''[[Every Home Should Have One]]'' in 1970. He also played himself (billed as 'Record Executive') in the 1980 [[Sex Pistols]] mockumentary film ''[[The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle]]''. He issued his only solo album, ''Unfinished Business'', in 1995.
===Marmalade & Dave Dee===
Starting in 1987, when DDDBMT had moved to Spain and Dave was left on his own, Harman began frequently collaborating with the Scottish band [[Marmalade (band)|Marmalade]]. This collaboration was responsible for two Dave Dee record releases. In 1989 they released the single "Scirocco" as Marmalade & Dave Dee.<ref name=":2" /> Although not an official member, Dave Dee would continue to guest appear at concerts from then onwards until his death.
== Business career ==
After a few charting songs, he then retired from performing and became an [[A&R]] Manager for [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], [[Magnet Records|Magnet]] and [[Warner Music Group|WEA Records]],<ref name="Larkin" /> during which period he was at least partly responsible for their signing [[AC/DC]], [[Boney M]] and [[Gary Numan]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Tim |date=March 2009 |title=Dave Dee (obituary) |url=http://recordcollectormag.com/issue-detail/360 |journal=Record Collector |volume=360 |pages=22}}</ref>
In 1980, Harman opened and ran a short lived record company called Double D Records at 25 Burton Street in [[London]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Dee (2) |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/599276-Dave-Dee-2 |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=Discogs |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Double D Records - Music label - RYM/Sonemic |url=https://rateyourmusic.com/label/double_d_records_f2/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=Rate Your Music |language=en}}</ref> Double D Records were also distributors for [[Pye Records]], and they produced twelve singles between 1980 and 1981.<ref name=":1" />
Dee also became a businessman and founder committee member for disadvantaged children through the charity [[Nordoff-Robbins]], which he helped found and worked with for over 30 years.<ref name=":0" />
== Personal life ==
He also became a [[magistrate]].<ref name="telegraph" /> In his later years, he lived in [[Mobberley]], Cheshire, and fathered twin sons and a daughter. He was married to Joanne Parris when he died.
== Death ==
He suffered from [[prostate cancer]] from early 2001, but he continued to perform with his band almost until his death from that disease in [[Kingston Hospital]], Surrey, on 9 January 2009.<ref>{{cite news|author=Alan Clayson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/09/dave-dee-obituary |title=Obituary: Dave Dee|newspaper=The Guardian |date= 9 January 2009|accessdate=31 December 2011 |location=London}}</ref> He was 67.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4208929/Dave-Dee.html|title=Dave Dee Former policeman who surfed the 1960s pop-wave as front man with Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich|date=9 January 2009|newspaper=The Telegraph}}</ref>
== Discography ==
{{Main articles|Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich discography}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.dddbmt.com/ The Band's official website]
* {{IMDb name|0214161}}
{{Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich}}
{{Marmalade (band)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dee, Dave}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English male songwriters]]
[[Category:English pop singers]]
[[Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in England]]
[[Category:Musicians from Salisbury]]
[[Category:A&R people]]
[[Category:British police officers]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]