David was born to Eugenie (Jenny) Gulesserian, the daughter of Hrant Gulesserian, a textile trader from Western Armenia/Eastern Turkey, who had established a branch of the family business in Manchester, England in 1904. Jenny's father, Hrant, was married, but she had a brief affair with another man, and afraid of bringing shame to the family, she kept the pregnancy a secret. Jenny and her younger sister secretly arranged for David to be adopted at just three months old.
David was adopted by Jim and Joyce Dickinson, and he remained unaware of his adoption until he discovered his adoption papers at the age of eleven. He spent years tracing his birth mother, finally locating her in Jersey, and the two began a correspondence that lasted for two decades. However, they never actually met, as Jenny did not wish to disrupt her new family. It wasn't until after her death that David met his half-brother, who had been unaware of his existence until then.
After completing his education, David entered the textile trade, following in the footsteps of his biological grandfather. In 1968, he married Lorne Lesley, a well-known African-Welsh cabaret singer, and also managed her career. The couple had two children together.
In 2006, David participated in the BBC's celebrity genealogy program "Who Do You Think You Are?" and embarked on a journey to uncover his family's history, tracing relatives in both the UK and Turkey.
