Musician of the Week

Musician of the Week
David Singleton

Instruments: Guitar, Vocals, piano, bass

Day job: Self employed musician, audio engineer / producer, guitar teacher and ebay store owner.

First performance: The first real performance with a band that I remember was with the band “New Trip.” I was 13 and our frontman was a six and a half foot tall Jimi Hendrix freak, he played with his teeth and lit his guitar on fire. (He now does hundreds of shows a year in Europe under the name “Lord Bishop” playing “Sex Rock Music”).  This was at a day camp for mentally challenged kids called “Camp Venture” and they absolutely loved it, in spite of us being loud and most likely, terrible.

Favorite performance and why: China Club in NYC with the band “Rock Cousteau.” A nice place to do a showcase, fun band members.

Type of music: Mostly rock, but have written country and “serious” music.

Originals or covers: Both. I play a lot of covers as a solo act with some originals. Play all originals in a band with singer/songwriter Mike Blackwell.

Sounds like: Mostly classic rock with some classic country thrown in.

Songwriting muse: My girlfriend Alannah.

Influences: Depends on what style I am writing in at that moment…Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Chopin, Copeland.

Accomplishments: BFA Music composition from State University of New York at Purchase, studying privately with composers Dr. Haim Elisha, Arthur Cunningham and Michael Starobin. Working as an audio engineer for Ascent Media on many TV shows and films including several seasons of NHL’s “Cool Shots,” aired on ESPN and award winning documentaries such as “The Last Day of World War I: 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour” aired on The History Channel and A&E. Producing several CD’s, jingles and music beds for use in advertising.
What kind of crowd do you draw: Since moving to Arkansas, I play mostly for drunken tourists in Eureka Springs at The Cathouse Lounge, New Delhi Cafe and Basin Park Hotel. Hope to start playing more for drunken college students here in Fayetteville.

Any albums: My own is in progress, as usual. I have recorded, produced and played on lots. Since moving to Arkansas I have co-produced the CD’s “Leavin’ Town” by The Maybelles, “Fambilly Hour” by Mountain Sprout, “Twin Cousins” by The Camptown Ladies and played a little bit on Mike Blackwell’s “Come Back To Me.”

Back stage ritual: You mean getting a beer at the bar after carrying a bunch of equipment in?

Funniest or strangest thing that ever happened during a performance: Tie between having an audience member get stuck in the drum set and a fight breaking out during performing “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” on a Saturday night at Neighbor’s Tavern in Blauvelt, N.Y. with the band The Bushmen.

Plans: To survive making music.

Goals:  To survive making music.

New Projects: Just finishing up another Mountain Sprout CD, Opal Fly’s next CD, Mike Blackwell’s next CD. Hopefully my own CD somewhere in there.

If you could open for anyone, who would it be?  The Maybelles, at George’s Majestic Lounge on Oct. 15 with Mike Blackwell or The Rolling Stones.

Last CD purchased: Billy Bragg & Wilco: Mermaid Avenue

Most played song/s on your I-Pod? Mountain Sprout: One More For The Ditch, The Maybelles: Leavin Town, Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker, Thelonious Monk: The Best of the Blue Note Years, Charles Mingus: Ah Uhm, Ray Charles: The Early Years, Stravinksy: The Soldiers Tale, Debussy:

Piano Preludes Web site:  www.davidsingleton.com, www.myspace.com/songsbydavid

Upcoming shows and tours:

Oct. 15-this Wednesday – Opening for the Maybelles at George’s Majestic Lounge with Mike Blackwell

Oct. 18 New Delhi Café, Eureka Springs with Mike Blackwell

Oct. 19 New Delhi Café, Eureka Springs, solo acoustic

Nov. 13 Landry’s New Orleans Café, Fort Smith with Mike Blackwell

In January I will be performing in the Austin area with Mike Blackwell See www.myspace.com/songsbydavid for more dates.