Fans of David Essex will be rejoicing as the 1970s popstar, who rose to international fame with his 1973 hit 'Rock On', announced on 17 October 2025 that he is going on tour. The Thanks for the Memories tour will see the singer, 78, play 21 dates across the country in September 2026 in celebration of his enduring music career. But long before he achieved sixteen Top-40 albums, David was just a normal boy from Plaistow, London. In fact, he has previously admitted that some elements of his childhood were tough, though he has fond memories of a particular home from his past.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2010, the 'Hold Me Close' singer recalled a house move, the memories from which stuck with him for years to follow. "I had a rough start in life. My dad worked as a docker, but he contracted TB and spent a long time in hospital," he recalled. "Without any income, my mother and I were housed in an institution for the homeless that also doubled as a mental hospital. It sounds horrific, but it was actually very interesting for me as a little boy to wander through the corridors and curtained cubicles."
© GettyHowever, he was able to make the move out of this environment eventually. "We lived in one cubicle and shared a washroom with the other residents. I stayed there until I was about four years old and then the great news came that the council had built us a prefabricated house," he revealed. "That was fantastic because we had our own garden and it felt like Buckingham Palace in comparison.
© Getty"I picked up a strong work ethic from my parents because my dad used to come home with bleeding shoulders where he had been loading heavy items at the docks and mum went out to work as well," he added. "It certainly didn't motivate me to pursue riches – all I really wanted to do was be a jazz drummer." David was raised as an only child by Albert and Olive Cook and was educated at Star Lane Primary School, before heading to Shipman County Secondary School, and later, The Warren School in Chadwell Heath.
David Essex's Surbiton home
Since then, David has gone on to become a father himself. He is dad to Verity and Danny, who are in their 50s, from his marriage to his first wife, Maureen Neal, and twins Billy and Kit, who are in their late 30s, from his former relationship with American singer Carlotta Christy. He married Welsh actress Susan Hallam-Wright in 2010. For 16 years, he lived in Surbiton, south west London, in a home which he listed for sale in 2022.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe Surbiton residence was listed for £2,999,950 and was accessible via electric gates. It boasted six bedrooms, as well as an entrance hall with stained glass windows and a grand staircase. Elsewhere, the home featured a large open-plan kitchen, four bathrooms, and a sprawling garden.
© GettyQuiet Surbiton marked a departure from the chaos of his youth as a star who earned 19 Top-40 singles between 1973 and 1994. At the peak of his fame, 'Silver Dream Machine' singer David owned a property in London's Primrose Hill. However, his home was soon discovered by fans who would gather around the property. "The street was lined with fans and I realised we can't live here, so we went somewhere else," he admitted to Sunday World in September 2025.
