Mike d'Abo
Michael "Mike" David d'Abo (born March 1, 1944 in Betchworth , Surrey ) is an English singer and songwriter, who was best known in 1966 as the lead singer of Manfred Mann .
D'Abo began his musical career while still at school. He developed into a highly regarded singer and keyboard player and in 1966 there was only him for Manfred Mann, who could fill Paul Jones' big shoes as the front man in his band. At this point, d'Abo had already had minor successes with another group, writing the hit Handbags and Gladrags for Chris Farlowe . The piece was later covered by Rod Stewart and the Stereophonics, among others .
His subsequent time with Manfred Mann was probably the most successful attempt by a band to replace their lead singer at the height of his popularity. With Mike d'Abo as vocalist, Manfred Mann had some of the biggest hits, including Ragamuffin Man, Ha Ha Said the Clown, My Name is Jack, and number one hit Mighty Quinn.
After the group broke up in 1969, d'Abo sang the role of Herod on the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar . He also co-wrote the song Build Me up, Buttercup of the Foundations . After that he mainly appeared as a songwriter and recorded his own albums at irregular intervals. He also produced some soundtracks or film scores.
In early 2000, the group The Manfreds was founded, which consisted of members who had all played once for or with Manfred Mann, and he occasionally plays live with his own band The Mighty Quintet.
Mike d'Abo is the father of actress Olivia d'Abo and the cousin of actress Maryam d'Abo .
album
- The Mike d'Abo Collection, Vol. 1: 1964-1970 - Handbags & Gladrags
- Broken Rainbows, 1974
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | d'Abo, Mike |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | d'Abo, Michael David |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British singer and songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 1, 1944 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Betchworth , Surrey |