Coverdale was born on 22 September 1951, in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Redcar and Cleveland, England. His love for music developed early. Around the age of 14, he began performing professionally as he wanted to be a singer. He developed his style of singing then. "I don't think my voice had broken," he explained to "Sounds" in 1974. "And that's when I first learnt how to sing with my stomach, which sounds silly, but it's totally different from a normal voice." Coverdale had been the vocalist local bands like The Government (1968–1972); Fabulosa Brothers (1972–73).