herb alpert 23 by Article Announcement
Published Date: 19/03/08
Herb Alpert
Latin music is very much in demand today all over the world. Its greatest pioneer in bringing it to the mainstream is Herb Alpert. Born in Los Angeles, it was a trip to Tijuana, Mexico and a performance by a Mariachi band that inspired him to create his distinctive style. He had trumpet lessons from being a young child and always had his heart set on a musical path. After High School, followed by a period in the Army where he was called upon to play his trumpet, he worked as a songwriter and wrote or co-wrote hits for the likes of Sam Cooke and Jan &Dean.
He had a short-lived career as a singer with the pseudonym of Dore Alpert and his debut single with the Tijuana Brass was in 1963. Called The Lonely Bull, it was a top ten hit and a successful album of the same name, followed. Herb Alpert led the band through a series of hit records and they became a very popular live attraction all through the 1960s. The subsequent decade saw the infrequent re-forming of the band with different line-ups. Alpert forged his own solo career as a musician and sometime vocalist into the 1990s and still appears as a guest on other people's records today.
Strangely, it was as a vocalist that he achieved his biggest success when his solo single, This Guy's In Love With You reached number one. The surprise hit was written by famed songwriting pair Burt Bacharach and Hal David. As a recording artist, his statistics are pretty impressive, with fourteen platinum albums, fifteen gold albums and eight Grammy Awards. He has had twenty-eight albums in the Billboard chart and five singles at number one. Herb Alpert has also had success in the business side of the music industry, as an executive with A&M Records. All his many achievements were honored when his star joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He has other interests outside of playing music, supporting young people in the arts and helping to fundraise for environmental projects. He has also followed another of his ambitions and become a respected painter and sculptor. His style is Abstract Expressionist and he exhibits his work across the USA. Latin style musicians of today owe Herb Alpert a debt of gratitude in paving the way. He is remembered fondly by his fans and still receives a lot of airplay for standards such as Spanish Flea.
>>Return to Home Page<<