Alan was born in the small town of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. He is the lead singer for Great Big Sea, but also plays guitar, bouzouki, and mandolin. He grew up with instruments in the house, so can play a variety of instruments. There is never a dull moment with Alan, he is fun and full of energy which he proves at concerts. He graduated from Newfoundland Memorial University with a degree in English. He was a tour guide for a museum before he joined the group. He, as far as I know, was born on May 20, I'm not to sure about this date, because Alan is also known for his little "stories" and on one of the older editions of their newsletter, it said that their birthdays were May 20, 21, 22, and 23. I don't know if its true or not, but I love them anyway. Alan was in his Uncle's band the "New Sandells" at the age of 15, so he started in the music business right away, and probably knows a lot about it. If he ever got the chance to show his stuff to a talent scout for the Montreal Canadians, he would. He plays goalie, and is a big fan to the Montreal Canadians.
Photo credit: Kristy, find her link on my links page for more great photos!