David Garrick (29 January 1947 – 28 February 1985), better known by his stage name David Byron, was a British singer best known in the early 1970s as the original lead vocalist of the rock band Uriah Heep and their hit singles “Easy Livin’” (1972) and “Stealin’” (1973). Byron was known for his powerful operatic voice and flamboyant stage presence. David Garrick was born in Essex to David James Garrick and Rosetta Caroline Florence Purkis, who married in the late 1930s. His father worked as a compositor, typesetting for the London‑based printing firm Odhams Press. Byron enrolled at Normanhurst Infant School in 1952. He later attended Forest School, Walthamstow (1958–1964), where he was a popular pupil, excelled in sports, and played in the school’s first eleven football team. From the mid‑1960s to the early 1970s, he did session work for Avenue Recordings, singing lead and backing vocals—sometimes alongside Mick Box on guitar and Paul Newton on bass. These were cover versions of Top 20 hits released on EPs and LPs. In a 1973 interview, Byron said: “I started singing at the age of five. My mother was singing in a jazz band. My whole family was into music. Everybody played an instrument.” His first professional venture was with an Epping‑based semi‑pro band called The Stalkers, which also featured Mick Box. Byron and Box then formed the band Spice (1967–1969), which included Newton on bass and Alex Napier on drums. Before settling on the name Spice, other names were considered, including The Play. A handful of acetates exist of unreleased tracks from that period credited to The Play.
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