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 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. ~ Jason Ankeny