The Welsh singer beaten to stardom by Sir Tom Jones

David Alexander achieved his greatest successes after album Reflections sold 150,000 copies in 1988

He became one of Wales' greatest ever performers after escaping the pits by singing in social clubs, with his distinctive voice earning him recognition around the world.

While this description may fit Sir Tom Jones, it is in fact of David Alexander, a man with a similar background, who some believe could have become a household name instead of him.

His songs, such as Working Man and Please Send Me Daffodils may not be as well-known as Sir Tom's hits It's Not Unusual and Delilah. But according to Alexander's wife, things could easily have been different.

"They were the same age and both sang big, belting ballads. Byron Godfrey managed them both for a while and their paths took them down the same route, singing in social clubs," said Beryl Alexander-Ebdon.

"They were also both good looking guys with dark curly hair, both very Welsh with similar accents. Even now, when some people hear David sing, they ask 'Is it Tom Jones?' I am biased, but I think David had a nicer voice than Tom. But at the time there was only room for one big, Welsh singer."

Alexander was singing at Pontins, in Bracklesham Bay, Sussex, when he was spotted by manager Byron Godfrey

While Sir Tom's recent 75th birthday brought tributes about his enduring appeal, it is also 20 years since the death of a man who many believe should have earned more recognition.

Born in Blackwood, Caerphilly county, Alexander worked at Oakdale Colliery before joining the Trenewydd Singers.

"It was just timing, Tom was always a couple of steps in front. David's first break came when he appeared on (talent show) Opportunity Knocks with the choir, while Tom was already singing as a soloist, his name was already out there.

"But I really think their early days could have been the other way around. It was just that Tom got there first," Mrs Alexander-Ebdon added.

David Alexander was working in the Girling factory, Cwmbran, when Sir Tom was performing in Las Vegas in 1965

Following his Opportunity Knocks performance, Alexander was encouraged to start singing in social clubs.

He was spotted by manager Byron Godfrey and in 1971, his first single If I Could See the Rhondda One More Time sold a couple of hundred thousand copies.

It was in 1976 that he met his future wife, who performed as ventriloquist Penny Page, and the pair appeared on bills together around the country. By then, Tom Jones had become an international star.

The couple married in 1981. Mrs Alexander-Ebdon said she "loved him from the moment I first met him"

"We worked together and had a great life together. David got out there and promoted himself. He sang in every Woolworths store in the country and in theatres in front of 1,500 people before selling hundreds of records after," said Mrs Alexander-Ebdon.

"We were both happy as we got a lot more time to do family things. Tom's life took a different route, he became a superstar and may have missed a lot.

"We had a beautiful home, one abroad and everything we wanted, so I am not complaining that David wasn't the biggest star of his day or was second best to Tom, because in many people's eyes he wasn't."

Alexander, who had two daughters from a previous relationship, Bronwen and Alex, continued singing until his death from a heart attack in 1995 while at the family villa in Tenerife.

The couple bought a villa in Tenerife in 1991. Alexander performed regularly in pubs and clubs there

Mrs Alexander-Ebdon then began promoting her husband's music for his label and still sends out 2,000 CDs every month.

She added: "It is unbelievable, I never thought they would keep me going this long. David was never terribly famous during his lifetime, but 20 years later and he is still selling massive amounts.

"Recognition came very slowly and people are discovering him now. Radio stations in Canada and Australia have been in touch wanting his music."

'Brilliant singer'

His songs are also being sung in clubs around Belfast by vocalist Jim Sloan. He said: "His voice is just amazing and it is so sad that he died at such an early age."

Another fan, Alan Castle, from Southport, saw him "countless times". He believes Alexander should have earned more fame and said his song The Price of Coal, about mining disasters, is capable of moving listeners to tears.

While David Alexander never became Wales' biggest superstar, to his fans he remains one of its greatest, little-known treasures.

Interest is still strong 20 years after David Alexander's death. His wife has a mailing list of 5,000 fans