A self-taught musician, primarily a keyboard player, he was educated at Jarrow Grammar School, South Tyneside, and was a founding member of the Tyneside group The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, then renamed The Animals. His playing on their international hit "House of the Rising Sun" and other tracks was a key element in the Animals' success. His arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun," a traditional folk song, has become more recognisable than previous incarnations.

For the past 20 years Alan Price has continued to regularly tour the UK, both on his own, and sometimes in 60's revues with groups such as Manfred Mann, The Searchers and The Hollies.