He is a singer born Thomas "Nippy" McAleese in
Coatbridge, Scotland and later nicknamed "Wee Dan".In the early 1960s he founded Dean
Ford & The Gaylords and in the years 1964 and 1966 they released two
singles that would not have any success.Changing their name to Marmalade he would continue to provide
the lead vocals and seeing chart entries from 1968 they would
finally see the top position of No. 1 in the UK when he performed on
their cover of Lennon
& McCartney's
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".Being a member of the first
Scottish group to reach No. 1 in the UK, he would appear on the BBC music
programme Top of the Pops in a kilt in celebration.He would also see success with
Marmalade in the US when they appeared on the Billboard chart at No. 6 with
"Reflections of my Life".The
band went through many changes, but Dean stayed with them until the
mid-1970s. He left the band to
concentrate on his solo career and released an album in 1975.In 1976
he appeared with periodically with the band Blue that was co-founded
by ex-Marmalade member Hugh
Nicholson
, in 1978 he appeared on the Alan Parson's Project's Pyramid,
and in 1991 recorded a single with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.He relocated to the United States
and ran a chauffeured limousine business in Los Angeles and now lives in
New York in his retirement, although still writes.
