And as he gets ready for his big day, here are 9 photos from the Echo archives to trigger some memories.
He surprised shoppers in the Bridges with a live performance in 1990 and was pictured in the same year during a filming session at Marsden Grotto.
He was also pictured as he took a musical masterclass at Sunderland University in 1994, at Seaburn in 2005 and outside the Empire in 2017.
So here’s an early happy birthday Dave! Let’s re-live the memories.
9. Meeting the fans
Dave, a former Bede School pupil, was making a docmentary featuring tracks from the forthcoming record when he was pictured in The Bridges in 1990. Photo: Sunderland Echo
10. Share your own memories
Did these photos bring back memories for you? Tell us more by emailing [email protected] Photo: se
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