Alex Wharton (born 1939), later also known as Alex Murray, was part of the singing duo the Most Brothers with Mickie Most, and later, co-manager and producer of the Moody Blues.
Singing and acting career
The Most Brothers worked in the 2i's Coffee Bar in London's Soho. They toured the UK with early rock and rollers Marty Wilde, Colin Hicks (younger brother of Tommy Steele), the Tony Crombie Big Band, Cliff Richard, the Kalin Twins, and Wee Willie Harris. In 1957 they recorded on the Decca label with "Whistle Bait" and "Takes a Whole Lotta Loving to Keep My Baby Happy" before disbanding the act in 1958.
In 1959 Wharton adopted the name Murray and moved into an acting career with the Theatre Workshop company in Stratford, East London, under the direction of the theatre director Joan Littlewood. He appeared in the first production of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be before transferring to London's West End theatre, Wyndam's, as understudy to Alfred Lynch in the title role of The Hostage. He played a small role in the Arnold Wesker one-act play Last Day In Dreamland at the Lyric Hammersmith, and interspersed acting in minor film roles (Never Let Go - 1960), television parts and commercials with solo record releases on Decca.
Career as A&R, manager and record producer
He wrote songs with Tony Crombie before working in 1961 as A&R man at Decca Records, the youngest in the country, at 20, in the post. His first production, "Love is Like A Violin" sung by Ken Dodd, went to number 8 in the UK singles chart. It was followed by hits with Mark Wynter; plus Rhet Stoller's "Chariot", which reached number 26 in the UK.