Alan Barton
His voice powered the ultimate party band, turning novelty songs like 'Agadoo' into inescapable British cultural touchstones.
1953–1995 (age 42)·British singer·Birthday: September 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Barton was the frontman who gave Black Lace its boisterous, crowd-pleasing energy. Born in 1953, he joined the group in the mid-1980s, a period that saw them pivot from Eurovision contenders to purveyors of what became known as 'party music.' With Barton's enthusiastic vocals leading the charge, songs like 'Agadoo' and 'Superman' became ubiquitous at weddings and social clubs, achieving a kind of ironic and genuine popularity that few acts ever manage. His tenure with the band was marked by relentless touring and a keen understanding of what made an audience move. Tragically, Barton died in a 1995 coach crash while returning from a performance in Germany, cutting short the life of a man who had become synonymous with uncomplicated fun.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Died at 42
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
Key Achievements
- As lead singer of Black Lace, he helped drive the singles 'Agadoo' and 'Do the Conga' to top five positions on the UK charts in 1984.
- Performed with Black Lace at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, where they placed seventh with the song 'Mary Ann.'
- Maintained a decades-long career in the pop music scene, consistently performing live up until his death.
Did You Know?
Before joining Black Lace, he was a member of the band Smokie for a brief period in the 1970s.
The music video for 'Agadoo' was famously filmed on a beach in Scarborough.
He was known for wearing brightly colored, often matching outfits on stage with his bandmate.
“Agadoo, doo, doo, push pineapple, shake the tree.”
