Alan Barton
Encyclopedia
Alan Barton was a member of the hit
-making duo
Black Lace
, alongside Colin Routh. Their hits included: "The Music Man
", "Agadoo
" and "Superman
". They also represented the United Kingdom
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
in Jerusalem, with the song "Mary Ann
", which finished seventh.
Born Alan Leslie Barton in Barnsley
, Yorkshire
, Barton replaced Chris Norman
in Smokie
in 1986, recording
six album
s with them, and touring extensively as their lead vocalist
and rhythm guitar
ist. He was the lead singer on Smokie's revival of their hit, "Living Next Door To Alice
", recorded with British
comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown
, as "Who The .... is Alice?". In the early 1990s he released his one and only solo album, Precious (1991) and two accompanying singles: "July 69" (1990) and "Carry Your Heart" (with Kristine Pettersen) (1991).
Barton died in March 1995, at the age of 41, from injuries incurred when Smokie's tour bus crashed during a hailstorm in Düsseldorf
, Germany
.
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
-making duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
Black Lace
Black Lace (band)
Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"...
, alongside Colin Routh. Their hits included: "The Music Man
The Music Man (song)
"The Music Man" is a popular cumulative folksong among children, rugby players and Hash House Harriers.Peter Kennedy published a song called "The German Musicianer" in "Folk Songs of Britain and Northern Ireland" . It has some similarities with this song. Even earlier, "The Wonderful Musician",...
", "Agadoo
Agadoo
"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" and "Superman
Superman (Black Lace song)
"Superman" is a 1981 novelty song written by Italian musicians Claudio Cecchetto and Claudio Simonetti, most famous for the 1983 recording by Black Lace....
". They also represented the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...
in Jerusalem, with the song "Mary Ann
Mary Ann (song)
"Mary Ann" was the British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Black Lace.The song is about a man who loves a woman called Mary Ann, but can't express his sentiment to her....
", which finished seventh.
Born Alan Leslie Barton in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Barton replaced Chris Norman
Chris Norman
Chris Norman is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie, an English glam rock band from Bradford, which found success in Europe in the 1970s....
in Smokie
Smokie (band)
Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...
in 1986, recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
six album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s with them, and touring extensively as their lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist. He was the lead singer on Smokie's revival of their hit, "Living Next Door To Alice
Living Next Door to Alice
"Living Next Door to Alice" is a song co-written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Originally released by the Australian vocal harmony trio New World in 1972, the song charted at # 35 on the Australian chart...
", recorded with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown
Roy 'Chubby' Brown
Roy "Chubby" Brown is an English stand-up comedian, notorious for his decidedly blue humour. The controversial nature of his act means that he rarely appears on major television channels, and Brown has attracted accusations that his comedy style is outdated whilst also being described as "The most...
, as "Who The .... is Alice?". In the early 1990s he released his one and only solo album, Precious (1991) and two accompanying singles: "July 69" (1990) and "Carry Your Heart" (with Kristine Pettersen) (1991).
Barton died in March 1995, at the age of 41, from injuries incurred when Smokie's tour bus crashed during a hailstorm in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.