David Coverdale (born September 22, 1951 in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England) is a rock vocalist most famous for his work with the British hard rock band Deep Purple, and his later band Whitesnake. Coverdale was largely unknown until he replaced Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan in 1973. He was a Boutique clerk in Redcar, Yorkshire when he sent in an old Boy Scout picture of his along with a demo tape to Deep Purple. Impressed by his deep blues timbre, Coverdale was recruited to the band, sharing vocal duties with bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes.