About Me
Born on 9/11/73 in southeastern Missouri, Daniel was lucky enough to have an extremely musical family. Seemed as though every uncle or aunt sang or played an instrument. Family gatherings inevitably erupted into mass sing-alongs. Some of that must have stuck, because a few years later, it would serve as the basis for his career in music.
A bit of musically schizophrenic foreshadowing: At an early age Daniel was exposed to everything- Car trips w/ his parents included George Jones & Merle Haggard, while older siblings exposed him to Boston, AC/DC, Kiss, & Fleetwood Mac. That diversity could be why he feels so at home in any number of styles.
Fast forward a few years: One of his brothers brings home a guitar, & for the first time he paid attention to what the music was made WITH:
"It's one thing to hear a song on the radio- & a TOTALLY different thing to hear a guitar- a DISTORTED guitar- right there in your living room. And it's a spiritual experience the first time you hold that guitar & actually make sound with it. It's that sense of FLOATING. I can't imagine it as feeling much different than walking on the moon. It's that big a deal."
It was time to dive in. Only one problem:
"I'm a left handed man in a right handed man's world."
So with no access to (or, at age 13, knowledge of) a lefty guitar, Daniel simply turned over his brother's right handed guitar & played it upside down.
Problem solved... Except for the fact that the strings were completely backwards!!!
Both a blessing & a curse, 22 years of playing this way has resulted in a very unique style.
"Besides, it's WAY too late to change now!!!"
Perhaps his biggest influence, indirectly, is not a musician, but an instrument. Discovering the Fender Telecaster set Daniel on course to becoming the player that he is today.
"After hearing Albert Collins & Danny Gatton, I realized that they were both Tele players. I figured they were on to something, so I got my first Tele. Then I discovered all the other great Tele players & what amounted to a Tele cult!!! The one thing that a ton of my influences share is a strong country/jazz influence. Which is close to what I play today. I just tell folks that I play "Tele music."
Slide guitar is another aspect of Daniel's style not to be overlooked. After seeing slide wiz Sonny Landreth in concert, he was hooked. Add to that his discovery of David Lindley & the lap steel guitar:
"I might like playing lap steel MORE than guitar. There is something liberating about the stream of unbroken notes that can pour out of the steel guitar- a total vocal like quality that no string bending can ever duplicate."
In early 2005, following a master class with Tele legend Ray Flacke, Ray asked Daniel, "How come you don't live in Nashville?" To which Daniel replied, "That's a good question." And so the migration to Nashvegas happened in May of that year.
After a four year stint in Nashville playing sessions, touring & writing, Daniel headed back to Mississippi to soak up more of the vibe & concentrate on his solo efforts.
Daniel's latest project in the works is an all instrumental cd that will be released sometime in 2009. Ranging in styles from top speed country chicken pickin', to psychedelic reggae country, to hillbilly jazz, to moody slide guitar, & Celtic-tinged rock, all are brought under one roof in a very exciting & entertaining album. Especially for guitar geeks. The cd will include some very special guest pickers, as well. (Not saying who they are, but their names rhyme with Ray Flacke & George McConnell.) It was recorded at Black Wings Studio in Water Valley, MS, & co-produced by Daniel & Winn McElroy.
Included on this page are some rough mixes that will give you an idea of what to expect from the full cd. We hope you enjoy them. Just be sure that you crank 'em up!!!
Gear: Guitars: GILTONE CUSTOM SHOP TELECASTER, Giltone DK-150 prototype lap steel, 1952 Supro Twin Six lap
steel, early 50's National Grand Console steel/
Amps: GILTONE ILL POSSUM head, GILTONE LIL' RED MAN head, &
GILTONE V-DUB 1x12 speaker cabs/
NOTE: "Mike Gillentine makes the best amps I've ever used. Visit
him at pwogs.com."
Effects: "Do volume & tone knobs count?!?"
