Scottish-born award-winning songwriter Alex Legg is unique. His percussive guitar, stomping groove, and rich, husky voice deliver one captivating song after another. Alex Legg's passionate delivery is spontaneous and engaging. Close your eyes and you'll believe a whole band is on stage.
As a songwriter Alex Legg is second to none. Drawing inspiration from eclectic sources he creates his own genre. Rich in melody with lived-it, living-it lyrics, his songs have the immediate appeal of truly great classic Pop.
Internationally he has worked with the world's best, including Albert Lee, Buddy Miller, Randy Crawford and Joe Cocker: in Australia, alongside Renee Geyer, Richard Clapton, Andy Cowan and many more.
'...Alex Legg creates an atmosphere that is enchanting, stimulating and compelling all at once...'
Latest News
Just mixing and mastering a new album, "Cupid's Graveyard" and other stories. Looking forward to sharing it with you all.
Bio
Alex Legg was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 24th May 1952. The son of a farmer, Alex is one of five children born to Harry and Catherine Legg.
As a songwriter Alex Legg is unique. A consummate performer, Alex Legg's percussive guitar, stomping groove, and gritty vocals deliver a powerful performance. Close your eyes and you'll believe a whole band is on stage. As a songwriter Alex Legg is second to none. Drawing inspiration from eclectic sources he creates his own genre. Rich in melody with lived-it, living-it lyrics, his songs have the immediate appeal of truly great classic Pop.
Alex Legg is no ordinary songwriter. He is a master wordsmith, an accomplished player and an engaging storyteller. But he does more than entertain with amusing anecdotes and clever phrases. Alex Legg communicates with an audience because his songs reflect their life. The pain, the pleasure, the passion. Suffering, sensuality and a sense of justice.
Internationally Alex Legg has worked with the world's best, including Albert Lee, Buddy Miller, and invited by the industry to pitch songs at Randy Crawford ( Sailing Boat in Time), Joe Cocker (Heaven Help Me), Eric Clapton (Did I Hear Her Say Alright)and many more. In Australia, Alex Legg has worked alongside Renee Geyer, Richard Clapton, Andy Cowan, Phil Manning, Lloyd Spiegel, Kavisha Mazzella, Joe Dolce and many more.
Alex Legg is a passionate man. He is one of that small band of songwriters who manages to distil life experiences into four minutes. And Alex Legg has lived a lifetime. He has wandered on and off the road; he has identified his demons and he faces them every day. Like many poets and players before him, Alex Legg grew up in working class Scotland. His gritty background informs his writing and imbues his songs with a down-to-earth ring of reality. He is a political animal. An astute observer of the world around him, with a particular interest in the machinations of politicians and power brokers of all persuasions. As many of his lyrics question and attack the status quo, Legg's songs are, at times, angst-ridden. But while a healthy cynicism permeates more than a few tunes, his original work is never bitter to the point of hopelessness. His Caledonian brogue carries the anguish of his Celtic forefathers as his voice rails against the senselessness of waste and warfare. There is an intelligent thread in Legg's lyrics that forces the listener to pay attention and to ponder. This guy really does have something worthwhile to say. Alex Legg is as passionate about people as he is about politics. His work contains references not only to global and social concerns, but also to the challenges faced by families and individuals. His songs are finely crafted statements of purpose. Protest songs sit comfortably alongside songs of love and loss; memorable melodies underscore uplifting lyrics in works of humour and grace. Legg's unique playing style has intrigued audiences on different continents. Fascinated musicians and attentive punters often find themselves looking for extra players on the stage, even though they know there is only one guy up there with a guitar. In concert, Alex Legg is much more than a world-travelled troubadour. He is a master wordsmith, an accomplished player and an engaging storyteller. But he does more than entertain with amusing anecdotes and clever phrases. Alex Legg communicates with an audience because his songs reflect their life. The pain, the pleasure, the passion. Suffering, sensuality and a sense of justice. Alex Legg is no ordinary songwriter. Listen to him if you get the chance. It will do you no harm. - Vic Campbell, writer and broadcaster.
Chronology
1964 Wrote 1st song, OLD JOE'S ROCK & ROLL SHOW, age 12
1966 Bass player - Dave Barron's Baronettes Scottish Dance Band
1968 Formed 1st band, MEHMET MEHMET, John Fitzgerald & Dave Ritchie
1969 Bass in MOTHER HUBBARD on Scottish dance hall circuit
1969-73 Guitar & songwriter FELIX with Graham Hall, Archie Buchanan & Mike Keavey
1973 Bass for top Aberdeen band HEDGEHOG PIE
1974 In London to join John Fizgerald. Working with Pearse Kelly & John Curtis (Gary Moore), played with Mike Woods (Peter Sarstedt), Andy Summers (Police), Steve York (Elkie Brooks)
1976-8 Songwriting with singer/actress Hazel O'Connor. Sessions at Winchester Studio, with producers John MacMillan & Hugh Murphy (Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty)
1979-80 Played bass with Ireland's Lee Lynch & the Blue Angels - toured UK, Eire & New York. Then in showband Nuala & the Newcomers
1980-1 With Dave Barfield & Phil Adams, formed The Wonderfuls, playing 100 Club, Marquee &c
1982-3 Bass with The Strolling Bones
1983-5 Manager McDonald (Mac) Middleton-Sessions with Tony Eyers, Peter Ker & Tony Visconti. Wrote with pop band Modern Romance. Performing LIVE solo dates
1985-6 Junior Francis produced 3 Leggsongs for singer Steve Myers featuring WHAM's Tommy Eyre & Trevor Murrell
1987-8 Songwriting & recording project, The Way with John Ellis (Vibrators, Peter Gabriel Band, Stranglers), supported by Pete Cornish of Lorimar Publishing, acquired by Warner Bros. The Way lost its way due to lack of investment
1989 Alex' solo career with the support of Blueprint Management's Cook & Glover, introduced him to a number of UK festivals, Greenbelt, Wimbourne & Cambridge
1989-91 Co-wrote with John Beeby (Aretha Franklin, Daryl Hall)
1991 Married Australian singer Jenny Smith, resulting in tours of UK & Europe. Alex & Jenny recorded 3 albums together - Falling off the Edge of the World 1993, Granite Stones & Clay 1996 & True Stories 2002. Four Leggsongs from these albums were covered by Dutch band TWICE, produced by Nashville's Buddy Miller
1993- Collaborated on songs & recording projects with Tim Oliver, keys in THE WILD GEESE. Tim and Alex produced the acclaimed Healesville (2003) & a series of 4 children's albums for record label ICC
1995 Alex's son Angus, born
Alex wrote a song per week for 26 weeks for Cindy Kent's afternoon show on Premier Radio (producer Liz Ray)
1997 In Nashville, co-wrote with Casey Kelly (Leather & Lace), Billy Sprague (No Good Reason & One Day Soon), & Larry Henley, Phil Madeira & Margaret Becker
2003 Moved to Australia & forged a reputation at festivals - National Folk Festival (Canberra), Port Fairy (Victoria), Woodford (Queensland), Fairbridge (Western Australia), Folk Alliance Convention (Adelaide)
2005 With Martin Pearson & Chris Pain, formed the trio MP3, producing the CD Songs of Sedition & Swing, launched live at National Festival & on ABC
2005 Enda Kenny covers award-winning, Were You There on his CD Here & There
2006 Alex split with Jenny
Formed Melbourne Songwriter's Showcase at Cornish Arms & Don't Tell Tom, Brunswick, Melbourne
2007 Albert Lee's Australian band 'Wheelers and Dealers' record Cold in the Doorway on the album Full House
2007-9 Co-writing & recording with touring songwriter, Sammy Horner
2008-9 Alex recorded & co-produced 'The Best Laid Plans of Chocolate Mice' with ABC recording artist, Andy Cowan
2008 Guitar-legend, Albert Lee played on two Leggsongs - Cupid's Graveyard & Turn the Lights Down
2009 Alex founded the successful Blues & Roots shows at Burrinja Arts Centre, Upwey, Melbourne, featuring Australia's top Blues artists, Phil Manning, Andy Cowan, Lloyd Spiegel, Geoff Achison, Fiona Boyes, Dutch Tilders &c
2010 Alex met & fell in love with author Isobel Blackthorn
2011 Alex produced The Wonderfuls, featuring Chris Pain on harmonica
Formed 'The Mullets to support Isobel Blackthorn's launch of her memoir Lovesick. Playing the music of The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, U2, Talking Heads, Prefab Sprout & his own 80s songs
Discography
Falling Off the Edge of the World (1993)
Granite Stones and Clay (1996)
True Stories (2002)
Healesville (2003)
Songs of Sedition and Swing (2006)
The Best Laid Plans of Chocolate Mice (2009)
Fokey Foke Fokin' - Songs in the Irish Tradition (2010)
Fokey Foke Fokin' - Songs in the Scottish Tradition (2011)
The Wonderfuls (2011)
Live at Camelot DVD (2011)
EARLIER RELEASES
Harry Legg's LoonThe bothy ballads of North-east Scotland (1986)
Kurds and Why (1990)
The Wild Geese (1991)
Awards
Forget It Winner of The Basin Musical Festival Song Contest 2010
Too Many Children Best of the Best at London's Songwriter Showcase in 1997
Winner of Global Singer Songwriter Awards 2004
Were You There Finalist in Port Fairy Songwriter Awards 2005 and Won a place in the finals of Peacedriven Song Awards 2005
Heaven Help Me Won online music community Broadjam's Peer Review Contest, recorded and covered by American keyboard player and singer, Johnny Neel 2004.