Dave Alexander (The Stooges)

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David Michael Alexander (June 3, 1947 - February 10, 1975) was an American musician, and the original bassist for influential protopunk band The Stooges.

After his family relocated to Ann Arbor from Whitmore Lake, Michigan he attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he met the Asheton Brothers. "Zander" (as he was known) dropped out after 45 minutes on the first day of his Senior Year in 1965, to win a bet. Later in 1965 he sold his motorcycle and went to England with his best friend Ron Asheton to see The Who and to "try and find The Beatles".

Alexander and the Asheton brothers met Iggy and formed The Stooges. Although he was a total novice on his instrument, he was a quick learner and subsequently had a hand in arranging, composing and performing all of the songs that appeared on the band's first two albums, The Stooges and Fun House. He is often credited by vocalist Iggy Pop and guitarist Ron Asheton in interviews with being the primary composer of the music for the Stooges songs "We Will Fall", "Little Doll" (both on The Stooges), "1970" and "Dirt" (Fun House).

Alexander's departure from the band during the infamous Goose Lake International Music Festival is said to have been due to excessive drug or alcohol use, although it is unclear if he quit because others in the band were using heavily, or if he was fired for his own excesses.

He died of pneumonia in 1975, aged 27, in Ann Arbor after being admitted to a hospital for inflammation of the pancreas.

Mike Watt mentions Alexander by name in his song, The Angel's Gate, on his 2004 album The Secondman's Middle Stand, by which time Watt had replaced Alexander in the reformed Stooges. At Watt's first performance with the Stooges at the Coachella Festival in May 2003, he wore a Dave Alexander T-shirt in tribute.

The Stooges
Iggy Pop | Ron Asheton | Scott Asheton | Mike Watt | Steve MacKay
Former members: | Dave Alexander | James Williamson
Discography
Albums: The Stooges | Fun House | Raw Power | Metallic K.O. | Skull Ring | Telluric Chaos | The Weirdness
Other releases: 1970: The Complete Fun House Sessions (box set) | Live In Detroit (DVD)