keurspel (Leon Rossouw)'s video: Alan Garrity - Put your hand in the hand

Alan Garrity was born on 14 October 1947 in Manchester, England. His father was a British army officer who served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Germany before the family settled in England when Alan was 11. Shortly before his 14th birthday the family emigrated to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). As a child Alan performed in school musicals and sang in the choir, and he learnt to play guitar when he was 15. After completing schooling at Milton High in Bulawayo he trained and worked as a radiographer and sang in local pubs and hotels after hours. He then formed the band Tabbron Trio with Geoff and Eva Tabbron (who later became known as Eva Wells) and they had a hit in Rhodesia with a single called “Coloured Rain”, which reached on the local charts. Alan gave up his full-time job when he landed a contract as the resident vocalist at the Swaziland Holiday Inn in 1970. Peter Lotis heard him sing one evening and offered him a recording contract with Gallo Records in Johannesburg. His first 7” single, “Put Your Hand In The Hand / Just For You”, was released in 1971 and was a huge hit both in Rhodesia and in South Africa. It reached on the South African Top 20 for 4 consecutive weeks, and charted for 13 weeks, also ensuring that Alan became a household name virtually overnight. In total Alan had 8 Top 20 hits over the next 11 years: 1. Put your hand in the hand – 1971, , 13 weeks 2. I need someone – 1972, , 33 weeks 3. Home isn't home anymore – 1973, , 16 weeks 4. Good-bye mama – 1973, , 7 weeks 5. Give me back my woman – 1974, , 10 weeks 6. She's my woman – 1975, , 5 weeks 7. Santa Maria – 1981, , 11 weeks 8. You stood by me – 1982, , 3 weeks Alan won numerous SARIE awards during his career, three as “Best Male Vocalist” (in 1973, 1975 and 1981), “Most Popular Top 20 Artist Of The Year” (also in 1981), and in 1972 his song “I Need Someone” won as “Song Of The Year”. He is also an accomplished song writer with three of his own compositions becoming hits – “I Need Someone”, “Give Me Back My Woman” and “She’s My Woman”. In 1976 his acting skills were put on display when he took the lead role of Joseph in PACT’s (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal) production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat”, performing alongside artists such as Richard Loring, Jody Wayne and Alvin Collison. This production toured extensively throughout South Africa and Rhodesia. After working as a cruise director on cruise ships for many years, Alan settled in England but remains active as a singer. In 2014 he released a CD with Jurie Els called “Beach House In The Blue Mountains”, and is currently working on a CD called “A Bridge Across Forever”, which will also feature his daughter Eden on two of the tracks. In 2019 he released his first book, “Quotes Quips and Anecdotes”, in which he takes a light-hearted look at his life in show business. This song was released on 7" single in 1971.