Alan Gorrie
The Scottish co-founder and relentless bassist of the Average White Band, who brought authentic funk fire to the 1970s global stage.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Scottish musician·Birthday: July 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Gorrie provided the nimble bass lines and raspy lead vocals for the Average White Band's hit 'Pick Up the Pieces'. Hailing from Perth, Scotland, he formed the band in the early 1970s with mates who shared a deep devotion to American soul and funk. Gorrie, alongside guitarist Onnie McIntyre, was the constant through the band's tumultuous journey. The band earned the respect of Black American audiences and musicians—a rare feat at the time. Gorrie weathered the death of original drummer Robbie McIntosh and shifting musical tides, steering the AWB through decades of touring and recording.
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 1946, 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 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed on the instrumental funk hit 'Pick Up the Pieces,' which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.
- As a founding member, provided bass and vocals on the Average White Band's platinum-selling album 'AWB' (1974).
- Remained the band's co-leader and one of only two original members for its entire active lifespan, guiding its sound for over four decades.
- Performed with and earned the admiration of funk and soul legends like Ben E. King and Chaka Khan.
Did You Know?
The Average White Band's name was initially meant as a self-deprecating joke about their Scottish origins in a Black American genre.
Gorrie and the band were briefly banned from BBC radio after their performance on 'Top of the Pops' was deemed too sexually suggestive.
He played on and co-wrote songs for Ben E. King's 1975 album 'Supernatural.'
The band's iconic horn section was recruited from the ranks of Scottish wedding and dance hall musicians.
“We were just some Scots trying to play the funkiest soul music we ever heard.”
