Best known as
the frontman of the
'70s arena rock outfit
Uriah Heep,
singer
David Byron
also performed as
a solo artist.
Born David Garrick
in Essex, England,
on
January 29, 1947,
he first emerged
as a member of
the short-lived Stalkers.
With the group's
guitarist
Mick Box,
he later formed
Spice,
which also featured
bassist
Paul Newton
and drummer
Alex Napier.
Renamed
Uriah Heep
in 1970
after a character
in the
Charles Dickens novel
David Copperfield,
they debuted with
the LP
Very 'eavy, Very 'umble;
while the group's
fusion of
art-rock
and
heavy metal
was widely scorned
by critics,
they soon rose to
stardom on both sides
of the Atlantic,
with much of the
attention focused on
Byron's operatic vocals.
In 1975,
he issued his
his first solo effort,
Take No Prisoners;
a year later,
after ten albums with
Uriah Heep,
Byron's longtime
drinking problem
led to his dismissal
from the band,
and he formed
Rough Diamond
with former
Humble Pie
guitarist
Clem Clempson
and
ex-Wings drummer
Geoff Britton.
The group issued only
a self-titled 1977 LP
before disbanding,
leaving Byron to
again pursue
a solo career.
His second effort,
Baby Faced Killer,
was not successful,
and he next formed
the Byron Band
with guitarist
Robin George.
1981's
On the Rocks
was their
sole album,
and as Byron's
alcoholism worsened,
his career dried up;
he was found dead
in his
Reading home on
February 28, 1985.
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