Alan Gorrie Scottish bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer, composer and songwriter Date of Birth: 19.07.1946 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Alan Gorrie

Alan Gorrie, a Scottish bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer, composer, and poet-songwriter, was born on July 19, 1946, in Perth, Scotland. In 1972, he formed the blues band "Average White Band," where Gorrie became the vocalist and bass guitarist. He was joined by fellow Scots Roger Ball, Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, Robbie McIntosh, and Owen "Onnie" McIntyre, as well as Canadian Mike Rosen, who was soon replaced by Hamish Stuart. The band gained popularity in the UK with the release of their first hit, "Show Your Hand," in 1973.

"Average White Band" quickly made their mark in the US, conquering the charts in 1974 with the critically acclaimed hit "White Album." Their subsequent compositions also became hits, such as "Cut the Cake" in 1975, "Soul Searching" in 1976, "Person to Person," "Feel No Fret" in 1979, and "Cupid's in Fashion" in 1982. The band disbanded in 1983 but regrouped in 1989 with Gorrie, Ball, and McIntyre. Their later work was also marked by a string of hits, including "Aftershock" (1989), featuring vocalist Alex Ligertwood, "Live on the Test" (1995), "Soul Tattoo" (1996), "Face To Face - Live at the Fillmore" (1997), "Tonight" (2002), "Living In Colour" (2003), "Greatest and Latest" (2005), and "Soul & The City - Live at B.B. King's" (2007).

After 1983, the band released four albums, enlisting the collaboration of numerous renowned guest musicians such as saxophonist Ronnie Laws and vocalists Chuck Cain and Daryl Hall. The new sound of "Average White Band" combined funk and R&B styles. Gorrie reflects on their longevity, stating, "We successfully started with the song 'Pick Up the Pieces' and managed to stay on top for thirty years. Such longevity is very rare outside the jazz world. For jazz guys, there is no retirement – they go until the very end. Maybe we have a chance like that too."

The band is currently based in New York and continues to tour, performing concerts across three continents and regularly visiting their native Scotland. In addition to his work with the band, Alan Gorrie has also contributed lyrics to the soundtracks of several Hollywood blockbusters, including "The Departed" (2006), "Step Up" (2006), "Taxi" (2004), "Starsky & Hutch" (2004), "Undercover Brother" (2002), "The Mod Squad" (1999), "Swingers" (1996), and others.