Alan Gorrie has spent more than five decades helping shape the sound of soft rock. As the co-founder, bassist and co-lead vocalist of Average White Band, the Scottish musician became the voice behind timeless hits like "Pick Up the Pieces" and "Cut the Cake." On Sunday, Gorrie celebrates his 80th birthday, marking another milestone in a career that has left a lasting mark on rock, funk and soul music.
Gorrie was born and raised in Perth, Australia, and started playing the bass at just 10 years old. His professional career began when he was just a teenager and started his own band called The Vikings. In the 1960s, he moved to London and played for various English rock bands, including Forever More, a progressive rock band.
After appearing in many movie soundtracks throughout the early 1970s, Gorrie and another Forever More band member, Owen "Onnie" McIntyre, formed the Average White Band in 1972. Others eventually joined, including Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, Michael Rosen, Roger Ball and Robbie McIntosh. Though their debut album, Show Your Hand, did not sell well at first, they eventually became a successful funk/R&B group, topping international record charts with their second studio album, AWB, thanks to their single "Pick Up the Pieces."
Alan Gorrie of the Average White Band during An Evening of Jazz at Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre on August 07, 2021 in Mableton, Georgia.Paras Griffin/Getty Images
When asked a couple of years ago about his and AWB's success, Gorrie wouldn't have believed it when they first made their band more than 50 years ago.
"Absolutely no way could we have seen past five or 10 years, in fact, 10 years was a stretch for any band back in those days. Especially when you were doing something that was off the beaten track in terms of what UK music was all about in 1972 when we started forming the band," he told interviewer Kevin Cooper. "We were actually bucking the trend with soul music and RnB when Britain was firmly in the grip of the likes of David Bowie, Hard Rock and Prog Rock."
Despite their success in the 1970s, AWB ended up breaking up in 1983 due to the dwindling record sales, major changes in music trends, record company lawsuits and burnout from constant touring. During this time, Gorrie released a solo album titled Sleepless Nights, which remains his only solo record.
In 1989, AWB reunited and created Aftershock, which was released that same year. They continued touring throughout the 1990s, and released three more albums: Soul Tattoo, Living Colour and Inside Out from 1997 to 2018. They eventually stopped touring in 2023, celebrating 50 years as a band with their fans on their Let's Go Round Again One Last Time Tour.
"It’s a logical, natural thing for us to do. There is a lifespan to everything whether it is a tree or a person, a genre of music or what have you, and we just felt that this was the right time to be totally honest about it and say, 'Look folks, we are going to stop touring, we are going to do it this year, and we are going to give you one last great throw of the dice and do it properly,'" Gorrie said.
AWB eventually disbanded for good in 2024, and their final concert was made into a film titled Final Note, which was released in 2025.
Onnie McIntyre, Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Malcolm Duncan, Roger Ball and Alan Gorrie pose for a photo in someone's house.Michael Putland/Getty Images
On one of the last stops on the farewell tour, the rock band visited Perth, Gorrie's hometown, and he called the days leading up to it very "emotional." Though he was looking forward to performing, he called touring quite exhausting.
"It’s very gruelling touring," he told The Courier ahead of the Perth show in 2024. "It doesn’t leave you much time for a family life and other niceties, so that’s why we decided to be honest and upfront about it and make it a farewell tour so everybody can see us for a last time."
Nowadays, Gorrie spends his retirement days painting and songwriting, as well as spending more time with family.
"I’m going to stop touring so that I can hopefully get my head back into songwriting, painting, which I love doing, and other pursuits, including my family, who have been denied my input for half a century," he continued. "I’ve been getting into [painting] again and want to pursue it much more than I’ve been able to, so I’m looking forward to doing more."
Robbie McIntosh, Roger Ball, Onnie McIntyre, Malcolm Duncan, Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart pose for a photo.Michael Putland/Getty Images
As Gorrie celebrates his 80th birthday, his legacy extends far beyond Average White Band's biggest hits. His musicianship helped introduce generations of listeners to a distinctive blend of funk, soul, rock and jazz, and his influence continues to be felt through the artists and fans who still celebrate the band's music today.
Related: Beloved '70s Rocker and Indie Rock Icon Turns 79
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