Dave Haywood

I started playing keyboards in my first band (with my 2 brothers) at 13 years old. My father used to have to come to the clubs I was playing at and sign some sort of legal release taking responsibility for me. From 13 to 16 I was hauling in the Poly 6, DX7 and later the M1 synthesizers to Jersey joints like Escapades, The Dirt Club, Club Bene and the Stone Pony.I had already started messing with the guitar but hadn't really done a band thing until my mid high school years. Met a bass player whose older brother was a drummer and we started playing Hendrix, Rush, Who, Floyd etc. Spent my free time messing around on the drums/bass and listening to all kinds of music (instrumentation/vocal harmonies etc). It was here at 19 that I joined a local Wayne NJ band named Charisma. I was the lead singer (and rhythm guitar) with these musicians who were driven and passionate about original music. We played hundreds of shows opening for the popular 'regional' bands of the day like Trixter, Kings X and White Trash etc. I began to take songwriting very seriously.When that band broke up, I spent months shopping myself around to publishers and music houses. Within a years span I landed 4 big commercial writing credits (one I STILL hear on the radio from time to time) and wound up a session guitarist for Joey Gold and the Metropolitan Recording Corporation. I didn't think much of myself as a guitarist but for some reason all these freestyle/club and dance producers really dug the funky wha pedal groove style that I inherited from the thousands of hours jamming to Prince songs in my bedroom from 1983-1993.In the following few years I had a series of incredible opportunites come along that altered my 'life' direction away from a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and towards a Professional Guitarist career (at least that's what my tax form says). First was the Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. I walked into that place in 1995 like a lamb going to the slaughter. The monsters on that stage seemlessly threw every style of music at me without telling me the key and just pointed when they wanted me to solo. Luckily the funky wha pedal groove style, knowledge of Prince songs and the ability to sing Brown Eyed Girl/Sweet Home Alabama got me the gig. I walked out of there on my own terms in 1997 with a encyclopedia of music in my head.I had every intention from 1997 to 1999 to release a record and support it with a tour. I put together a band called Sauce and we started doing local (north jersey/nyc) gigs. We completed an album at Mixolydian Studios in Lafayette NJ and it was released nationally a few months later. Due to trademark issues the project had to be dropped but not before the word had spread. That's when a man named Lou Pallo walked into my life.I was performing a free jam kind of show in Oakland with some great cats when he came to have a few drinks. I was well aware of who he was but when he approached me I was floored. He invited me to come play in New York City with Les Paul that monday. So I did! The musicianship, the sound and the overall performance was just extraordinary. I got up and played my own song with these masters to a great applause and respectful words from Les himself. He told me to come back whenever I wanted. I went home with a level of inspiration and passion for the guitar that I'd never felt before. I began studying the guitar hardcore!!! An 8 hour practice day became normal. I continue to make appearances to the Les Paul Show and I'm honered and privileged to call the whole crew (Les, Lou, Nicki, John, Tommy, Chris and Rusty) my friends...At the same time (late 90's) I was doing some session work for my friend Fred Mcfarlane. The project was the Dennis Taylor Band. These recordings became very popular in England so we hit the UK for a series of tours. Unfortunately, after the 3rd record, the project was dropped by the label but it was a great experience. You can hear this music on myspace if you wish - Dennis is one of my 'friends.'I've been incredibly fortunate with meeting and befriending well known performers. It's just pure luck when Jon Bon Jovi walks into your gig. But I guess having the balls the approach someone like him and asking him to jam with ya doesn't hurt either. :)Over the years, similar meetings, jams and even a small tour has occured with celebrities like Chaka Khan, Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Warren Haynes, Susan Tedechi, George Benson and each member of the Spin Doctors (separately) just to name a few.I've also been incredibly fortunate to have played up & down the United States in the biggest venues for thousands of people, on the sandy beaches of Jamaica, on cruise ships sailing throughout the Caribbean and all across Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany etc). On March 7th, 2007 I became a member of the Ruby Baker Band based in South Florida with Ruby Baker - Vocals, Bill 'Coolie' Scott - Bass/Vocals, Eero Turinin - Keyboards, John Anderson - Drums/Vocals and Johnny James - Saxophone/Vocals. Got to play every major venue up and down the state of Florida. I can only hope and pray that my career continues to lead me into more creative situations with great musicians. Thanks for giving my story a moment of your time. Hope it wasn't too long.... Peace~ Dave