Dave Alvin

David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer.

He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters.

In 1979, Alvin and his brother Phil formed the roots-rock band The Blasters with fellow Downey residents Bill Bateman and John Bazz.

Alvin served as the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter.

The Rough Guide to Rock noted the ever-increasing numbers of originals that Alvin wrote for the Blasters, along with his maturation into a great songwriter.

Other artists have covered Alvin's songs.

Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations.

He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters.

Alvin grew up in Downey, California.

He and his older brother, Phil Alvin, as teenagers attended rockabilly and country music venues.

Dave attended Long Beach State University.

For example, "Marie Marie" became a British-German top 20 hit in 1980 for Shakin' Stevens and received a zydeco treatment in 1987 from Buckwheat Zydeco.

In the early 1980s, Alvin, along with fellow Blasters members Bill Bateman and Steve Berlin, performed on A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die by the Los Angeles punk band the Flesh Eaters.

It was the first studio collaboration of the brothers since the mid-1980s.

Alvin was also a member of the country folk band The Knitters, an offshoot of X. He appeared on their 1985 album Poor Little Critter on the Road and their 2005 follow-up, The Modern Sounds of the Knitters.

Alvin was in the original lineup until 1986.

His departure reflected internal tension in the band, but ultimately he wanted to sing his own songs while his brother Phil Alvin was the established lead vocalist for the group.

Alvin has rejoined the Blasters for some reunion tours and live albums with the original lineup.

He has also occasionally performed with the band under other circumstances as well.

Alvin served a brief stint as the lead guitarist of the Los Angeles–based alternative rock band X.

He left X in 1987 to work on a solo project after the group recorded their album See How We Are.

Alvin's first solo album, Romeo's Escape (entitled Every Night About This Time in England), was released in 1987.

It was well received by critics but did not sell well.

Because of the album's low sales, Alvin's recording contract with Columbia Records was terminated.

Dwight Yoakam recorded "Long White Cadillac" in 1989.

Alvin's second solo album, Blue Blvd, was released by Hightone Records in 1991.

It received positive reviews and had moderate sales.

He then toured with Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana, billed as the Pleasure Barons; an album recorded live on their 1993 tour was released.

His album Museum of Heart was released in 1993.

He recorded King of California, an album of acoustic music, in 1994.

In 2000, he recorded the album Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land, a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

This lineup, which also included John Doe and D.J. Bonebrake, assembled once again in 2006, performing three shows in California and one in England to mark the album's 25th anniversary.

In 2011, Alvin recorded the album Eleven Eleven, released by Yep Roc Records.

The album marked his return to rock roots.

Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, called Alvin "an underrecognized guitar hero".

In 2014, Dave and Phil Alvin, as a duo, released the album Common Ground, consisting of their versions of songs by Big Bill Broonzy.

They reunited briefly in 2015 for a five-show tour and again for an eight-show run in 2018.

In 2015 they released Lost Time, a collection of covers including four songs by Big Joe Turner.

In live performance, Alvin assumed the role of emcee and storyteller.

They issued a new album, I Used to Be Pretty, in 2019.