The Allisons were an English pop duo consisting of Bob Day (born Bernard Colin Day; 2 February 1941 – 25 November 2013) and John Alford (born Brian Henry John Alford, 31 December 1939 – 13 November 2023). They were marketed as being brothers, using the surname of Allison.

Career

The Allisons represented the United Kingdom in the

Eurovision Song Contest 1961 The Eurovision Song Contest 1961 was the 6th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 18 March 1961 in the in Cannes, France. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (RTF), and originally known as the () ...

with the song " Are You Sure?". They came second with 24 points. The song was released as a single on the Fontana label, and climbed to number 1 on the UK ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' pop chart, while in the chart compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...

the song spent six weeks at number 2 and a further three weeks in the top 4. "Are You Sure" sold over one million records, earning a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. In Germany the single reached number 11. Despite a couple of minor follow-up hits, the duo disbanded in 1963. Alford initially tried songwriting, but he and Day teamed up for short tours to keep the 'Allisons' name alive. Additionally, in the 1970s and 1980s Alford was joined by other "brothers" — Mike "Allison" and Tony "Allison". By the 1990s, Day and Alford regularly reunited to perform on the oldies circuit. The Allisons' final public performance was at the "Tales from the Woods" British R'n'Roll Heritage Show #8 at The Borderline Club in London, 2012. A clip from that show can be found on the 'Tales From The Woods' YouTube channel Bob Day died after a long illness on 25 November 2013, at the age of 72. John Alford died from complications of an

aortic dissection Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of agonizing ches ...

on 13 November 2023, at the age of 83.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

45-RPM website

45cat.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Allisons English pop music duos Musical groups established in 1961 Musical groups disestablished in 1963 1961 establishments in England 1963 disestablishments in England Eurovision Song Contest entrants