Alan Price: Bio And Career Highlights

April 19, 1942

Fatfield, Washington, England

84 Years Old

Aries

Alan Price is an English musician, singer, and songwriter known for his distinctive keyboard style and blues rock influence. His energetic performances captivated audiences during the British Invasion era.


He first rose to prominence as the original keyboardist for The Animals, with their groundbreaking 1964 transatlantic number-one hit, "The House of the Rising Sun." This iconic track showcased his powerful organ playing, which became a signature sound.

Growing up in Fatfield, Washington, County Durham, Alan Price was a self-taught musician who picked up piano, guitar, and bass from an early age. His formative years in a working-class environment instilled a deep appreciation for music as a personal craft.


He attended Jarrow Grammar School, where he formed his first group, a skiffle band called "The Black Diamonds." This early interest in performance foreshadowed his influential career.

A string of personal relationships has marked Alan Price's life, with two notable marriages. He first married Maureen Elizabeth Donneky in 1971, with whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth. They later divorced.


Price married his second wife, Alison Thomas, in 1990, and they also have a daughter, whose name has not been publicly shared.

Alan Price's career in blues rock and pop music is highlighted by his integral role in The Animals, where his organ work on hits like "The House of the Rising Sun" shaped their sound. He also found significant solo success with singles such as "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" and "The House That Jack Built."


Beyond his performing career, Price launched into film work, notably composing the BAFTA Award-winning soundtrack for Lindsay Anderson's 1973 film O Lucky Man! He also took on acting roles, including the lead in Alfie Darling.

“The one phrase you can use is that success has a thousand fathers, and failure is an orphan.”