| Dave Clark | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Clark |
| Born | 15 December 1942 Tottenham, North London |
| Genres | Beat music |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Drummer, vocalist |
| Years active | 1957— |
| Associated acts | The Dave Clark Five |
David 'Dave' Clark (born 15 December 1942) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the leader and drummer of the 1960s beat group The Dave Clark Five, the first big British Invasion band to follow The Beatles to America in 1964.
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Born in Tottenham, North London, Clark left school without qualifications at the age of 15 and became a film stuntman, performing in over 40 films.[1][2][3] In the late 1950s Clark bought himself a set of drums, taught himself how to play them, and formed a skiffle band to raise funds so that his football team could travel to Holland.
The skiffle band grew into The Dave Clark Five with Clark their leader, chief songwriter, manager and producer.[3][4]
The Dave Clark Five grew in popularity in England. They unseated The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" from its number one spot on the British singles charts in January 1964 with "Glad All Over". The British press, briefly, called them The Beatles's "most serious threat".[5] The Dave Clark Five were the first big British Invasion band to follow The Beatles to America in 1964,[5] where they achieved 15 consecutive Top 40 hits.[6] They also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show more times than any other English group.[5]
In the late 1960s, in addition to managing his band, Clark began directing and producing for television. In 1968 he made a "very successful" television production, Hold On, It's the Dave Clark Five.[3] The band broke up in 1970, and in 1972 Clark stopped drumming after he broke four knuckles in a tobogganing accident.[1] In 1986 Clark wrote a science fiction stage musical, Time that played for two years in London's West End, starring Cliff Richard (replaced later by David Cassidy) and featuring Laurence Olivier's huge holographic image.[3] Clark became a successful entrepreneur and a multi-millionaire, owning a £12 million house in West London.[1][7] He owned the rights to all The Dave Clark Five music and in 1993 he released remastered versions of all their singles on a CD, Glad All Over Again.[3]
He also owns the rights to all the shows of the 60's UK music show Ready Steady Go! that still exist. In the late 80's they were repeated on Channel 4 interspersed with the Dave Clark Five's own performances.
In 2008, marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the band, The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,[8][9] and Clark, making a rare public appearance, and the two other surviving band members accepted the award on behalf of the group.[10]