Dave Alexander

January 8, 2012

Dave Alexander was an American blues singer and pianist whose powerful boogie-woogie playing helped define the West Coast blues sound of the 1970s. Later in life he embraced Islam and performed under the names Omar Sharriff, Omar Shariff, and Omar Hakim Khayam. He remained a beloved fixture of the San Francisco Bay Area blues scene until his death in 2012.

Early Life

Dave Alexander was born in 1938 with roots tracing back to Texas, a region whose deep blues traditions would shape his musical voice throughout his career. Like many Black musicians of his generation, he grew up surrounded by the sounds of church music, barrelhouse piano, and the electrified blues that was migrating westward as families relocated from the South to California in search of work. He eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where a thriving community of transplanted Texas and Louisiana musicians kept traditional blues alive in clubs and juke joints. It was in this environment that Alexander developed his percussive, driving piano style, drawing on the boogie-woogie and barrelhouse techniques passed down from earlier generations of blues pianists. His early years performing in local bars and lounges gave him a reputation as a formidable keyboardist, capable of commanding a room with nothing more than his voice and a piano. These formative experiences on the West Coast circuit laid the groundwork for the recording career he would later pursue with independent blues labels dedicated to preserving authentic, unpolished blues performance.

Career and Recordings

Dave Alexander built his reputation as a formidable interpreter of West Coast blues piano, blending Texas-rooted boogie-woogie with the grittier, urban sound that had developed among Bay Area musicians. He became closely associated with independent blues labels that specialized in documenting traditional and largely unamplified blues styles, recording albums that showcased his forceful vocals and rolling piano lines. His performances captured the raw, emotive quality that characterized the barrelhouse tradition, and he was recognized by blues enthusiasts and historians as one of the genuine link to an earlier era of blues pianism. Over the course of his career, Alexander toured and performed at blues festivals and clubs, sharing stages with other West Coast blues artists and helping introduce younger audiences to the piano-driven blues style. His artistry reflected both technical skill and emotional depth, and he was known for his ability to shift seamlessly between slow, mournful blues and up-tempo boogie numbers. Later in his life, Alexander converted to Islam and adopted new names, performing and recording as Omar Sharriff, Omar Shariff, and Omar Hakim Khayam, though longtime fans continued to recognize him by his original stage name as well.

Later Years and Legacy

In his later years, Dave Alexander—by then also known as Omar Sharriff—remained active in the Bay Area blues community, mentoring younger musicians and continuing to perform for audiences who valued his connection to an earlier, unfiltered style of blues piano. He was regarded as a keeper of tradition, one of a dwindling number of artists who had learned their craft directly from the generation of musicians who brought Texas and Louisiana blues to California. Alexander died on January 8, 2012, at the age of 73, marking the loss of one of the last authentic voices of West Coast barrelhouse piano blues. His recordings continue to be valued by blues historians and collectors for their raw honesty and technical mastery, offering a window into a regional style that has become increasingly rare. Alexander's legacy lives on through reissues of his recordings and through the influence he had on fellow musicians who absorbed his percussive piano technique and emotionally direct vocal delivery. He is remembered not only for his musical contributions but also for his personal journey, including his embrace of Islam, which added a distinctive layer to his identity as both a bluesman and a man of faith navigating multiple cultural traditions.