d. whitney quinn

“i’ll… never be satisfied”, sings d. whitney quinn, “’cause the voices inside won’t let me be denied ’til i’m satisfied and i’ll never be satisfied.” such is the restless and personal cycle that partly defines quinn’s life and his approach to writing and performing. “the times when i’m sidelined, i want to walk. when i get to walk, i want to run. when i can run, i want to sprint, and when i get to sprint, i want to sprint and never stop, creatively speaking.”
d. whitney quinn is both a confessional and professional songwriter and musician. quinn explains: “confessional in the sense that i often speak the unspeakable in my songs. i give voice to the thoughts that many of us think about but are too uncomfortable to share in public. the reason i do this is that i feel that i owe a debt to the writers that came before me, the songwriters that got me through some dark nights of the soul, and i feel the need to pass that on, in the hope that i can do the same for others.” quinn is certainly a professional – he has played piano since age six, and also plays guitar, bass, drums, banjo, et al. “i’m also kind of a honcho with sequencer/samplers, although i prefer to use the new technology for recording live.”
when performing solo on piano, whitney's songwriting can challenge any of the greats - dylan, joni michell, tom waits and randy newman. when surrounded by players, quinn's music takes on a different style, comparable to van morrison, early springsteen and little feat. "i'm a walking encyclopedia of music", quinn grins, "but i rarely incorporate whole styles into my sound. i'm more of a sponge - i soak up pieces of music and incorporate them into sounding more like ME, you know?".
d. whitney quinn has had the opportunity to play and work with a diverse number of musicians - little feat, fred white (drummer with earth, wind & fire), members of beck's touring and recording group, jackson browne, valerie carter, van dyke parks, don cherry, john york of the byrds, tris imboden (drummer with chicago) and many others. "i was blessed with good ears and a sensitivity to not overplay - well, most of the time". he laughs. "i would rather hear one well-placed note than twenty, merely because he or she CAN."
whitney also considers himself a born artist. “i didn’t pick a musical career – it picked me. i played my first professional paying gig when i was eleven years old and i never looked back. music has saved my life on many occasions, and i take these gifts seriously. even though i regard myself as a great performer, i’d like to disappear into the songs sometimes to serve them better. that’s what makes me do, uh, unusual things sometimes to get the song across, like… well, i guess you’ll just have to come see me. many of my songs are tough-minded, but i’m not afraid to show the vulnerable, sensitive side that guys tend to shy away from.”
d. whitney quinn wants to stress that the “i” in his songs are not always himself. “i actually consider that a position of strength, because some of them are straight autobiography, and some of them are vessels in which i can pour my feelings into without having to be that character or situation, thank goodness.” one of his favorite songs is “alive on arrival”, where he sings, “i stared the devil in the face, o man, i got an eyeful. once i was dead, now i’m alive… on arrival.”
“that’s right”, laughs quinn, “i’m a born artist, and due to circumstances, i feel as if i’ve been reborn. i’m ready to kick ass again – my own.”