Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ESSEX, David

(b David Cook, 23 July '47, London) UK singer/teen star. Grew up in tough East End, played drums in semi-pro Everons '63; ten singles as singer '63--70 flopped; manager Derek Bowman encouraged sideways move to theatre: repertory, bit parts in forgotten films; then big break: cast from 600 to play Jesus in Godspell London late '71. Also starred in well-received film That'll Be The Day '73 as '50s rocker Jim MacLaine; film written by Ray Connolly, mus. dir. Neil Aspinall and Keith Moon. Essex wrote 'Rock On' for the film, his first hit at no. 3 UK/5 USA '73--4, followed by moody 'Lamplight' and 'America' both from debut LP Rock On ('Lamplight' minor last hit in USA). Second LP David Essex '74 had UK no. 1 'I'm Gonna Make You A Star', also 'Stardust' (no connection with Hoagy Carmichael): no. 7 hit and title of film '75 co-starring Adam Faith and Larry Hagman,which had MacLaine fall from grace through drugs. Much success on discs attributable to former jingle-writer Jeff Wayne, who prod. them; alternated between moody ('Rollin' Stone', no. 5 '75), brash ('Hold Me Close', no. 1 same year). Prod. himself from Out On The Street '76 onwards, with marginal negative effect on sales; returned to the stage '78 to play Che Guevara in Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita: 'Oh What A Circus' from the show no. 3 '78; film Silver Dream Racer incl. 'Silver Dream Machine' (no. 4); had non-singing role as Lord Byron in Childe Byron at Old Vic theatre. No. 2 hit '82 with plaintive 'A Winter's Tale', by Rice and Mike Batt; no. 8 '83 with 'Tahiti', presaging show Mutiny, based on Mutiny On The Bounty, panned by critics as insubstantial but successful with public when it finally opened '85, with sumptuous sets, imaginative design. Total to '84 of 17 top 40 UK singles, numerous gold albums, Grammy nomination (for 'Rock On'); he was unusual in combining pop with serious acting, but British stars often turn out to be all-rounders; Tommy Steele is another. Compilations of Essex hits continued to do well; he starred in TV sitcom The River '88, released album Touching The Ghost on his own Lamplight label '89; 'Rock On' was covered by actor Michael Damian for a no. 1 USA hit '89. He worked for Voluntary Service Overseas in the '90s, played a lead role in Goldsmith's She Stoops To Conquer in London '93.