The Alexander Brothers
The Alexander Brothers are an easy-listening folk-music duo from Scotland, who have been performing since the 1950s.
Tom Alexander (1934 - ) and Jack Alexander (1935- ) were born in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw. On leaving school in the early fifties, the brothers pursued a trade as painters and decorators by day, and entertainers by night, and spent most of their spare time performing for elderly people in hospitals and for various charitable institutions in and around their hometown. In the spring of 1958, they entered a talent contest which was held in their local cinema. They won the contest "hands down" and one of the judges (who was a well known Scottish Theatrical Agent) was so impressed, he placed the boys under contract that summer. They made their professional debut at the Webster Hall, Arbroath. It was during this season that they received their first long term contract for five Winter Seasons at Glasgow's famous Metropole Theatre. Following Arbroath they were engaged to appear at the Metropolitan Theatre, Edgeware Road, London, and it was during this season they were spotted and signed to Pye Records. They cut their first LP 6 weeks later.
Their biggest hit single was "Nobody's Child" in 1964. It sold more copies in Scotland that year than did recordings by The Beatles.[1] Their other hits include "These are My Mountains", "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen", "Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl", and "Two Highland Lads". They toured Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They appeared at the Sydney Opera House with Jimmy Shand as a guest, and have also played in Carnegie Hall in New York.
They still give shows and their hits are still in print, but the audience is now mostly over 65. The brothers' fame and popularity probably peaked in the late 1960s, after which Scottish folk music began to lose its mainstream appeal and their audience dwindled. However, the Alexander Brothers experienced something of a revival in the mid 1990s when they began to release music videos, and later DVDs, to supplement their live performances. These new recordings contained many religious or devotional songs.
In recognition of their contributions to the world of music, they received MBEs from the Queen in the 2005 New Year Honours List [2]. The ceremony took place in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.
"Nobody's Child" is sometimes described as traditional but was actually written by Coben and Foree. The song was first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949, then by Lonnie Donegan in 1956. The Beatles recorded it in 1961 while they were a backing band for Tony Sheridan. Billy Connolly did a humorous version of it in his live shows. Billy Fury also did a recording of it. George Harrison and Ringo Starr recorded it again, in 1990, as part of the Travelling Wilburys; proceeds from the single were devoted to a Romanian children's charity.
Their most recent cd's and dvd's are produced by the Kilsyth-based company Scotdisc.[3]
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