David Coverdale

Depending who you ask, Whitesnake singer David Coverdale is either almost single handedly responsible for keeping bluesy hard rock alive in the British charts during the late ?70s/early ?80s, or is merely a Robert Plant clone who hit it big in the U.S. later in the ?80s as an ?MTV band' - by merging familiar Led Zeppelin sounds with pop metal/power ballads, and sexed-up videos. Born on September 22, 1951, in the British town of Saltburn-on-Sea, Yorkshire, Coverdale was born into a family who were avid music fans, which resulted in an early interest in the guitar, before switching over to vocals. Coverdale soon began fronting local rock outfits, including Denver Mule, The Government, River's Invitation, and The Fabulosa Brothers (from the late ?60s through the early ?70s). Looking for a new gig in 1973, Coverdale one day picked up the popular British music mag Melody Maker, and answered an ad for a group looking for a vocalist. Little did he know, that the group in question was Deep Purple.