Allan Clarke

Harold Allan Clarke (born 5 April 1942) is an English singer and musician who was one of the founding members and the original lead singer of The Hollies. He achieved international hit singles with the group and is credited as co-writer on several of their best-known songs, including "On a Carousel", "Carrie Anne", "Jennifer Eccles" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress". He retired from performing in 2000, but returned to the music industry in 2019. Clarke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 as a member of the Hollies.

Career Harold Allan Clarke and his childhood friend Graham Nash began singing together in Manchester while still at school. They formed The Hollies in December 1962 with Vic Steele (lead guitar) and Eric Haydock (bass guitar). In April 1963, they added Tony Hicks (replacing Steele on lead guitar) and Bobby Elliott (replacing Don Rathbone on drums). In 1966, Bernie Calvert replaced Haydock as bass guitarist. Clarke was The Hollies' original lead singer, but also played occasional guitar and harmonica. In the UK they enjoyed 30 chart singles, plus two further chart entries with re-releases, 17 of which made the Top 10, with two – "I'm Alive" (1965) and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1988 re-issue) – reaching No. 1.

In the US charts they achieved 23 chart singles, six of which reached the Top 10. Many of the group's songs were co-written by Clarke, usually with Nash and Hicks, until Nash's departure at the end of 1968. They initially used the pseudonym "L. Ransford" for their songwriting credits, then 'Clarke-Nash-Hicks' from mid-1966 onwards. In 1966, Clarke, along with several Hollies bandmates, assisted in the Everly Brothers' recording of their album Two Yanks in England, which featured Everly cover versions of mostly Hollies songs co-written by Clarke.

Clarke-Nash-Hicks composed The Hollies' albums For Certain Because (1966), Evolution (1967) and Butterfly (1967). Their UK hit singles compilation The Hollies' Greatest Hits topped the UK Albums Chart in August 1968. Clarke was replaced in the band by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of the Move. Wayne died in 2004. The Hollies continue touring and recording today with Peter Howarth as their vocalist.

On 15 March 2010, Clarke, with fellow Hollies members Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Eric Haydock, Bobby Elliott, Terry Sylvester and Bernie Calvert, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, Clarke made a surprise appearance at a Crosby & Nash concert at the Royal Albert Hall where the two former Hollies performed "Bus Stop".

Having appeared on harmonica for Carla Olson's band The Textones in 2018, Clarke made a return to his solo career in 2019 with a new album, Resurgence, on BMG.

Discography Studio albums My Real Name Is 'Arold (1972) Headroom (1973) Allan Clarke (1974) I've Got Time (1976) I Wasn't Born Yesterday (1978) The Only One (a.k.a. Legendary Heroes) (1980) Reasons to Believe (1990) Resurgence (2019) I'll Never Forget (2023)

Album appearances 1964: The Rolling Stones - the Rolling Stones - backup vocals on "Little by Little" with Graham Nash 1977: I Robot - the Alan Parsons Project - lead vocals on "Breakdown" 1999: Portraits of Bob Dylan - Steve Howe - lead vocals on "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"