Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner, known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues".
16 Facts About Alexis Korner
2.
Alexis Korner spent his childhood in France, Switzerland and North Africa, and arrived in London in 1940 after the start of the Second World War.
3.
Alexis Korner made his first official record on Decca Records DFE 6286 in the company of Ken Colyer's Skiffle Group.
4.
Alexis Korner's talent extended to playing mandolin on one of the tracks of this British EP, recorded in London on 28 July 1955.
5.
Alexis Korner encouraged many American blues artists, previously virtually unknown in Britain, to perform at the London Blues and Barrelhouse Club, which he established with Davies at the Round House pub in Soho.
6.
In 1966, Alexis Korner formed the trio Free At Last with Hughie Flint and Binky McKenzie.
7.
Alexis Korner was instrumental in the formation of the band in April 1968, and continued to mentor them until they secured a deal with Island Records.
8.
Alexis Korner wrote about blues for the music papers, and continued to maintain his own career as a blues artist, especially in Europe.
9.
Alexis Korner used his gravelly voice to great effect as an advertising voice-over artist.
10.
Jimmy Page reportedly found out about a new singer, Robert Plant, who had been jamming with Alexis Korner, who wondered why Plant had not yet been discovered.
11.
Alexis Korner gave one of his last radio interviews to BBC Midlands on the Record Collectors Show with Mike Adams and Chris Savory.
12.
In 1981, Alexis Korner joined another "supergroup", Rocket 88, a project led by Ian Stewart based on boogie-woogie keyboard players, which featured a rhythm section comprising Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts, among others, as well as a horn section.
13.
Alexis Korner played in Italy with Paul Jones and the Blues Society of Italian bluesman Guido Toffoletti.
14.
In 1950, Alexis Korner married Roberta Melville, daughter of art critic Robert Melville.
15.
Alexis Korner had a daughter, singer Sappho Gillett Korner, and two sons, guitarist Nicholas 'Nico' Korner and sound engineer Damian Korner.
16.
Alexis Korner died in London from lung cancer on 1 January 1984, at the age of 55.