David Essex

At 76 years old, David Essex has this physical status:

Life and career

Essex was born in Plaistow, Essex (now a part of Greater London Borough of Newham) on April 1, 1965. Albert's father, as well as his mother, Olive (née Kemp), was a self-taught pianist and an Irish Traveller. Thomas Kemp's grandfather, Thomas Kemp, was nicknamed "Philimore," which was the anglicized version of "Philly Mor" and was Irish for "Big Philly." Essex was two years old when his parents moved out of the overcrowded home that the family was sharing with relatives to Canning Town, where he grew up.

Essex pupils attended Star Lane Primary School. He loved playing football and didn't respond to any of the questions asked in the Eleven plus exam for admission to a grammar school so he'd know he was attending Shipman County Secondary School, where he learned the sport. For a time, he was also a member of West Ham United Juniors, and he aspired to be a professional athlete. He became interested in music and performed drums with a local band (China Plates), before becoming a singer. He migrated from Marks Gate in Essex, near Chadwell Heath and Romford.

In 1965, he released his first album, "And the Tears Came Tumbling Down." He performed with 'David Essex and the Mood Indigo' for two years and then released seven singles in the 1960s. He also recorded two songs, "A Rose" and "Leon and John," which are unreleased, but acetates are also available. His first notable acting role, aside from minor roles in the films Assault and All Coppers Are..., was lead in the stage musical Godspell in 1971 at the age of 23.

In the same year, he appeared in the film That'll Be the Day (1973) and recorded his international hit song, "Rock On"; two years later. The R.I.A.A.'s gold disc was sold over one million copies and was given a gold disc. In March 1974, there was a landslide in March 1974. It was nominated for a Grammy Award and debuted at No. 1 on the charts, with a no. 1 on the top. Billboard Hot 100 number 5 is ranked 5 out of a 100 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Lamplight," the country's second single, also ranked in the top ten in the UK Singles Chart.

Essex emerged in the 1970s as a performer of some note. Contrary to a belief made in his own biography, his first performance was at the Granada in East Ham on Saturday, but not at the Odeon. "Gonna Make You a Star" (1974), and "Hold Me Close" (1975), two of his best hits during the decade. He appeared in Stardust, a 1974 sequel to That'll Be the Day. It was another Top 10 hit. Essex covered the Beatles' "Yesterday" for the BBC show "All This and World War II" in 1976.

Essex's pop idol looks gave him a large female following, and his British tours produced scenes of hysteria reminiscent of Beatlemania. He was named the top male vocalist in 1974 and was a teen idol for more than a decade, according to The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.

Essex appeared in the stage version of Tommy at London's Rainbow Theatre in December 1973.

He appeared in 1978 as The Artilleryman on Jeff Wayne's musical interpretation of The War of the Worlds. The two-record set in the United Kingdom is still a best-seller.

Essex appeared Che in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's original production of "Chico," and his album "Oh What a Circus" debuted at number three in the same year. Essex received top billing, over Elaine Paige, whose stardom allegedly appeared in the show overnight, as the best-known of the principal actors. His show had him to stay for just five and a half months, which, as Essex had anticipated, was never expected to do.

He appeared in the motorcycle racing film Silver Dream Racer two years later, and his soundtrack album "Silver Dream Machine" was a top-five hit in the UK Singles Chart. Essex, a keen motorcyclist, waived his price for Triumph Bonneville, which had contracted to market on behalf of the fading Triumph motorcycle workers' co-operative.

He appeared in Childe Byron, a play staged at the Young Vic Theatre in 1981.

Fletcher Christian, a West End musical Mutiny based on Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall's novel Mutiny on the Bounty, was written and performed by him in 1985. Two more hit singles were released, including "Tahiti," his tenth Top ten hits, as well as "Makiti."

Essex continued to excel in all aspects of show business. The River, a 1988 sitcom, received good feedback. A music compilation named His Greatest Hits debuted at number 13 in 1991, while Cover Shot, a 1993 album starring a cover version of Buzz Cason/Mac Gayden's "Everlasting Love," debuted at number three. In 2002, A Charmed Life, his autobiography, was published and became a best-seller.

Essex was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for charitable works, particularly to Voluntary Service Overseas," in the 1999 New Year Honours. He still tours the UK every year and has released albums on his website. Despite his long and fruitful British career, he is relatively unknown in the United States. In 1974, "Rock On" became the nation's first Top 40 hits single, and he was his only US Cash Box Top 40 hits single.

In one episode of ITV1's 1960s Yorkshire-based drama Heartbeat, Essex, who comes from a family of Irish Travellers, appeared as a kind-hearted nomad. Johnny Lee Essex, a fictional character from Rokker Radio, a program for Gypsies and Travellers, told Jake Bowers of the BBC that he has always been proud of his Traveller family history. He was Patron of the National Gypsy Council of the United Kingdom, which promotes equal rights, education, and services for Romany and Irish Travellers.

He appeared as a guest vocalist on, and composed songs for, Saint Etienne's album Tales from Turnpike House in 2005. He appeared in Channel 4's documentary Bring Back...The Christmas Number One for the first time this year.

In early 2006, Essex was supposed to join soap opera EastEnders as new character Jack Edwards. However, the position was extended beyond the three weeks planned, and Essex was unable to commit the time. Nicky Henson took over the role.

In the museum of West Ham United Football Club, a model and film of Essex is on display. He discusses his reasons for supporting West Ham and his admiration for the team on the podcast.

Essex spent six years as an ambassador for Voluntary Service Overseas, which earned him an OBE in 1999.

Essex's Dominion Theatre in London hosted The War Of The Worlds in February 2016.

Essex was used to film and broadcast records under his own name, Lamplight. Joseph Webster Ltd., the owner of his company, has since shortened the name of his company to Joseph Webster Ltd, after his first grandchild. He tours regularly and continues to perform, appearing in Boogie Nights 2, Footloose, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Aspects of Love. He took his own musical, All the Fun of the Fair, from September 2008 to 2009 on a tour of the United Kingdom. The Secret Tour, he began in the fall with a sell-out solo tour of the United Kingdom. Essex has released a DVD of the last night of the tour, which was shot in Bournemouth. He returned to London's West End with All the Fun of the Fair, but with a different ending than that seen in the provinces.

Susan Hallam-Wright (born 1973) his third wife married Essex actress Susan Hallam-Wright at St Cross Church, Talybont, near Bangor, North Wales, on September 20th. He first met her at the end of 2008, when she was auditioning for a role in All the Fun of the Fair. She appeared in Sally and then was promoted to Mary, Jack's girlfriend, in the West End's version at the Garrick Theatre in London in April 2010. Essex had been married to Maureen Neal (in 1971) and Carlotta Christy (in 1997).

Essex has five children. He had two children (Verity and Danny) with his first wife, Maureen Neal; twins (Billy and Kit) with his second wife, Carlotta Christy; and his fourth son (Sonny) with Susan Hallam-Wright, his third wife.

Essex had successfully joined the cast of EastEnders as Eddie Moon in January 2011, five years after he had been scheduled to appear in the program. On June 3, 2011, he made his first on-screen appearance. On October 6, 2011, Eddie left the square on a Sunday. He later wrote the music score for the film Traveller (2013), in which he co-starred with his son Billy Cook, who appeared in the principal role as a half-gypsy struggling to find his identity.

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