The Alexander Brothers
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Thomas Armit "Tom" Alexander, John "Jack" Armit Alexander |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Cambusnethan, near Wishaw , Scotland |
| Products | Folk music recordings and performances |
The Alexander Brothers were a Scottish folk music pair known for their easy-listening style, whose active years extended from the 1950s until 2012.
Career
Born in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw, Thomas Armit "Tom" Alexander (1934–2020) and his brother John "Jack" Armit Alexander (1935–2013) started musical training early on, with Tom mastering the accordion and Jack the piano. Following their school years, they balanced daytime work as painters with evening performances, primarily supporting local charitable causes. Their professional breakthrough came in 1958 after winning a regional talent competition, leading to their first paid appearance at Webster Hall in Arbroath. They subsequently secured a five-season engagement at Glasgow's Metropole Theatre and later performed at London's Metropolitan Theatre, where they signed with Pye Records and recorded their debut LP within six weeks.
Their most significant commercial hit was the 1964 single "Nobody's Child," which reportedly outsold The Beatles in Scotland. Other well-known songs from their repertoire include "These Are My Mountains," "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen," and "Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl." The 1966 album These Are My Mountains reached number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. Although their peak popularity occurred during this period, they continued extensive tours throughout Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, performing at prestigious venues such as the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. Among their admirers was actor Charlton Heston.
In the 1990s, they diversified into producing music videos and DVDs with religious themes under the Scotdisc label. Their substantial contributions to music were formally recognized when they received MBEs during the 2005 New Year Honours ceremony held at Holyrood Palace.
Jack died in 2013 aged 77; Tom carried on with occasional solo performances until his passing in 2020 at age 85.
External links
- 1950 establishments in Scotland
- 20th-century Scottish musicians
- Musical groups disestablished in 2012
- Musical groups established in 1950
- People from Cambusnethan
- Scottish folk music groups
- Scottish musical duos
- British male musical duos
- Folk music duos
- Sibling musical duos
- 20th-century Scottish male musicians
- Marble Arch Records artists