| John Alford | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brian Henry John Alford |
| Born | 31 December 1939 |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Associated acts | The Allisons The Shadows |
John Alford (born Brian Henry John Alford, 31 December 1939, London) is a British singer and songwriter who is best known as one of the members of the 1960s pop duo The Allisons.
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By 1958, Alford and a fellow member of the Shadows, John White formed a duet, called the Shadows Brothers. The gigs they did were mostly unpaid, but they longed to try their talents in the burgeoning coffee bars of London. However, parental approval for taking themselves to Soho to do this was not forthcoming. They entered an audition in Finsbury Park, and from this they became Carroll Levi's "Television Discoveries". They performed in two shows which were the highlights of their careers up to that time.
In January 1959, John White decided to quit, and Alford carried on as a soloist until August when he began a new partnership with Colin Day (Bob Day) somebody he sang with in the church choir. At this point the act was renamed The Allisons. They each adopted a new name; Brian became John Allison and Colin became Bob Allison. This they thought would strengthen their professional image as brothers. This new pairing worked well and by 1960, they had managed to obtain a residency at 'The Breadbasket' coffee bar in Cleveland Street. Other famous stars had precursed their careers here notably Emile Ford, Wally Whyton, and Jimmy Justice.
They entered a national talent competition, co-sponsored by the pop newspaper Disc, and a tape recorder manufacturer. They reached the finals at the ATV Studios in Wembley despite a roster of 600 entries, and went on to win. They were then invited to sing on Bert Weedon's television programme, Lucky Dip that same day. They also won a record test and taped several of the songs that Alford had written during 1957 and 1958. These were submitted to Fontana Records in the hope of obtaining a full recording contract. Fontana were impressed and selected "Are You Sure?" for submission to the UK heats to decide Britain's entry to the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest.
As the 1960s progressed, the pair eventually decided to split up and leave foreground pop music. At first, Alford turned to full time songwriting but the yearn to perform became too great, and he soon found himself keeping the Allisons name alive whenever he could. He and Bob would reunite occasionally for short tours, but during the 1970s and 1980s, Alford teamed up with other "brothers"; notably Mike Allison and Tony Allison.
Alford is married and has a son called Steve. He currently lives in London.