Alan Williams (singer)
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = {{CSS image crop |Image=The-rubettes-2013-1383466330.jpg|bSize=1000 |cWidth=260 |cHeight=250 |oTop=200 |oLeft=220 }}
| caption = Alan Williams
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England
| genre = Glam rock
| instrument = Vocals, guitar
| current_member_of = The Rubettes
}}
Alan Williams (born 22 December 1948) is an English singer. He is the former lead singer for The Rubettes and now fronts his own Rubettes spinoff "The Rubettes featuring Alan Williams".
Career
Williams' first band, The Medium, included John Richardson on drums.{{Cite web |title=Alan Williams |url=http://www.alwynwturner.com/glitter/rubettes.html |access-date=14 August 2024 |website=alwynwturner.com}} Williams and Richardson were both in The Rubettes, both before this they were the duo "Baskin & Copperfield".{{Cite web |title=Artist: Baskin & Copperfield {{!}} SecondHandSongs |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/55171/all |access-date=14 August 2024 |website=secondhandsongs.com}} Baskin & Copperfield never charted in the UK, but appeared on Top of the Pops and Hits à Go-Go with the song "I Never See The Sun".
Williams replaces Paul Da Vinci as lead singer of The Rubettes, as he was the only session singer who could replicate Da Vinci's falsetto vocals.Mark McStea, "Under the Radar: The Rubettes", Record Collector, No.552, December 2023, p.148 "Sugar Baby Love", which became the groups most successful song, went to number 1 in the U.K.{{Cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=British Hit Singles |publisher=Guinness World Records |year=2001 |isbn=0-85156-156-X |edition=14th |pages=44}}{{Cite web |date=9 July 2023 |title=Rubettes Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}} AllMusic |website=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rubettes-mn0000356548 |access-date=11 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709220611/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rubettes-mn0000356548 |archive-date=9 July 2023 }} Subsequent songs, such as "I Can Do It" and "Juke Box Jive", are sang by Alan.
The Rubettes disbanded in 2000, and not that long after Williams recreates The Rubettes with Mick Clarke and John Richardson of the original members. Bill Hurd, original pianist, also recreated the band around the same time as Alan with Paul Da Vinci, and in 2002, the two went to court for reasons surrounding ownership of the "Rubettes" name.{{Cite web |title=therubettes.de |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108230820if_/http://ww8.therubettes.de/ |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=web.archive.org}} The final agreement was that both musicians could tour under the name, as long it specifies which of the two was fronting the group.
In 2005, Alan sued Bill, claiming he breached the terms on the original contract, after he learned he appeared on German television as "The Rubettes", without any sign that this band was "featuring Bill Hurd". The court ruled that Williams also breached the contracts agreements as well as Hurd, but since Bill's abuse of the contract was more severe, Alan ultimately won the case.
In July 2022, Williams was sued by former band mates John Richardson and Mick Clarke, who had also been in Alan's Rubettes.{{Cite web |title=Sugar love goes sour for glam rock band the Rubettes |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/sugar-love-goes-sour-for-glam-rock-band-the-rubettes-92x3h7t5q |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=The Times|date=2 June 2022 }} Williams won the case. He and Bill Hurd continue to lead their own Rubettes band.
References
{{reflist}}
{{The Rubettes}}
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Category:20th-century English male singers
Category:20th-century English singers
Category:21st-century English male singers
Category:21st-century English singers
Category:English rock guitarists
Category:Musicians from Hertfordshire