Alan Whitehead (drummer)
Alan Whitehead (born 24 July 1945) is a British musician, businessman and author. He was a drummer for The Attack and Marmalade.
Alan Whitehead was born on July 24th, 1945, at 4:30 PM in Oswestry Hospital, a time marked by the closing chapter of World War II. He entered the world in the company of his family, including his younger brother Steve, in Park Avenue, Oswestry, under the care of their grandmother.
Despite the absence of musical influence from his parents, James King Whitehead and Anne Tanner, Alan's upbringing was coloured by his family's experiences. His father, James, of German descent with the family name Zahn, faced challenges due to his heritage during a time when being German in England was difficult. Consequently, Alan's grandfather adopted the name Whitehead, attributed to Alan's grandmother.
Remarkably, Grannie Whitehead lived to be 104, witnessing the changing tides of history.
During World War II, Alan's father served in the RAF, stationed near Shrewsbury, repairing instruments on aircraft. Meanwhile, Alan's mother, Anne, also born in Oswestry, met James when she was a parachute packer. The family eventually relocated to Bermondsey in London when Alan was five, navigating through the remnants of wartime destruction.
Alan's educational journey began at Alma Road Junior School in Bermondsey until the age of 11, followed by success in the 11+ examination. Subsequently, the family moved to St. Paul's Cray near Orpington in Kent, where Alan attended Cray Valley Technical High School.
At the age of 16, he embarked on a career path, commencing employment at Benjamin Edgintons in Sidcup, renowned flag makers to the Queen, while simultaneously enrolling at North-West College to study economics.
His early career saw him at Benjamin Edgington for two years before moving to Cross n Blackwells in London, where he delved into Time and Motion for a year and a half.
However, a pivotal moment occurred on his first day commuting to Benjamin Edgintons when he had an accident on his new motorcycle. Heeding his father's advice against any further motorcycle experiences, Alan redirected his focus, selling his bike to purchase a drum kit.
This shift marked the beginning of his journey into professional drumming, a decision he made just before turning 20 years old.
He joined a semi-professional group called Steve Russell and the Revelos, later rebranded as the Revelos after Steve's departure. They performed extensively in areas like Bexley, Dartford, and Woolwich.
A significant opportunity arose when he was offered a position with The Hustlers, a group gaining recognition at the time. However, the stint proved short-lived.
Subsequently, a local musician named Peter Smith, undergoing a name change to Crispian St. Peters approached him to join his band. Their collaboration saw success with the hit song "I am the Pied Piper," propelling Alan into the professional music scene. Unfortunately, misguided marketing tactics, including claims of surpassing Elvis in popularity, led to a disastrous downturn in the career of Crispian St. Peters.
Finding himself without work once more, Alan played for bands like The Cops n Robbers and The Epitaph Blues Band before landing a role with The Loose Ends however, his tenure with them was short-lived due to cultural differences regarding smoking preferences.
Undeterred, he continued to hone his drumming skills, owning a Ludwig kit and taking drum lessons, significantly improving his abilities.
In late 1966, he briefly collaborated with Dave O'List to form The Attack, a venture that gained cult status over time. However, financial constraints led him to take on a temporary job with Royal Mail during Christmas.
During this time, Alan stumbled upon an advertisement in The New Musical Express. It called for a drummer for a hardworking Motown-style group. With his drumsticks in hand from his Christmas mail delivery duties, he decided to attend the audition. His extensive knowledge of Motown songs impressed the group, Dean Ford and The Gaylords, who later rebranded as Marmalade. This audition landed him the gig.