David Elliott

DAVID ELLIOTTThere is much to be said for hereditary, especially when an individual expresses an aptitude or inclination towards creativity. In the case of multi-talented singer/songwriter, musician and producer David Ellliott, his pre-disposition towards making great music is hardly surprising: as the son of international legend Dionne Warwick and drummer and actor, the late Bill Elliott, David has been exposed to the world of entertainment from day one.Indeed, with a heritage that includes his mother along with her sister Dee Dee, her aunt Cissy, his second cousin Whitney Houston and grandmother Lee (of the pioneering gospel group, The Drinkard Singers), music has been a family affair from the start. Born into such a powerful lineage, David Elliott has distinguished himself as a formidable music man in his own right with career accomplishments which have included co-writing the Grammy Award-winning classic “Here And Now” for Luther Vandross, starring as Sam Cooke in the movie “Ali” and touring the globe as a special guest performer with his mother.Now, he says, “I’m ready to stake my claim as a singer,” referencing the new music he’s been creating over the past year. Favorably compared to Vandross as a vocalist who continues the tradition as a soulful crooner versed in both pop and R&B genres, Elliott is poised to satisfy the audience who have appreciated Vandross and those who came before him like Sam Cooke, Brook Benton and indeed, Nat King Cole. Offering music that is contemporary yet timeless, David Elliott’s latest work includes the stirring message-driven “Seven” and the tender, memorable “Made For Me,” an acoustic standout. “In 2007, I started focusing on my musical direction,” says David, who began getting rave reviews from critics and audiences alike when he started opening for Dionne during 2003 and 2004. “I’m basically talking to an age group that’s over 25 and I’m approaching my music from the standpoint that, when you see me perform it live, it will be the same as it is on the record.”That same musical ethic has been part of the tradition into which David Elliott was born: he fondly recalls that his earliest memories were “of listening to my Mom’s 45s – maybe “Valley Of The Dolls” as a lullaby or records like “Walk On By” and “Don’t Make Me Over.” When she would go on the road, she leave those records for me and my grandmother would tell me it was my Mom singing on those 45s.” With his Dad as a talented drummer, it was no surprise that David was sitting behind a drum set at the age of three and seeing his mother perform in Las Vegas just a couple of years later, he recalls “taking two drink-stirrers and drumming along during her shows!”By the time he was seven, David was singing and playing drums at the family church, New Hope Baptist in Newark, New Jersey while being exposed to the music of such singers as Cooke, Cole and R&B artists like Sam & Dave and “as I got older, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass – the love song guys.” An interest in southern rock and singer-songwriters like Kenny Loggins and James Taylor expanded David’s musical vision and he notes, “I played drums throughout high school but I started singing because I saw how audiences reacted to singers. I had a particular affinity with singers who started out as drummers like Don Henley, Jeffrey Osborne, Lionel Richie and Phil Collins. That’s when I realized I could do both – sing and play.”David’s first professional gig was around 1983: still very much a teen, he played drums on a show Dionne did with Johnny Mathis at, of all places, The Hollywood Bowl. “That was an amazing experience,” he remembers. After completing high school, David went out on the road as his mother’s drummer for a summer and fall tour and following time at San Diego State and the Musician’s Institute, he became Dionne’s permanent drummer in 1988.It was during this period of time that he began initially pursuing a solo career as an artist: “I was working with an amazing songwriter, Terry Steele. When he brought me the song “Here And Now,” it was basically done but it had a very gospel kind of flavor to it. I heard it more as a pop-oriented love song so I worked with Terry on reshaping it,” David recalls.The story of how the song got to superstar Vandross brings a smile to David’s face: “It was meant to be part of my demo so I could get my own record deal. I played it for my Mom and the next day, I was continuing to work with Terry when she asked me to come up to Luther’s house where he often had ‘movie nights’ and to bring the tape with him. I said, ‘Yeah, ok,” not thinking too much about it. There were all kinds of celebrities there and Luther gathered everyone in the living room and said, ‘Dionne’s son has a song…’ Going to the car to get the cassette was the longest walk! Luther put it on…and I hid in the bathroom!” When he reluctantly emerged, it was to a round of applause from one and all; some weeks later, Vandross informed him that “Here And Now” was in the running to be included on a greatest hits package. Fast forward a few months: “I was driving down Beverly Drive in Los Angeles and the song came on the radio. I slammed on the brakes and jumped out of my jeep!” David laughs. “I remembered the first time I’d heard Luther with “Never Too Much” and of course when he did “A House Is Not A Home” (a song long associated with Dionne Warwick). I knew then the premier vocalist of his generation.”“Here And Now” became Luther’s biggest pop hit and won him his first Grammy in 1990 for “Best Male R&B Vocal Performance,” giving David further incentive to move forward with his own plans for a solo career: “Having the song do so well validated my work as a songwriter,” he says. “After that, I viewed my music differently.” During the next few years, David was signed to different companies, each time experiencing music industry politics and changes in label regimes first hand. He returned to his love of drumming, doing gigs with Stevie Nicks and Lionel Richie and going out on the road with his mother in 1996 for an extended period of time.David continued in that role for a number of years until a fortuitous 2000 soundcheck in London at which Dionne heard him “doing impersonations of Luther and Marvin Gaye. She said, ‘You’re going to sing tonight!’ I did a duet with her on “I Say A Little Prayer” and it got a pretty favorable response. We did the song on the British TV show, “Top Of The Pops” and after that, I would come out and sing ‘Prayer’ and “That’s What Friends Are For” with her…”In 2001, a call from good friend, actor Mario Van Peebles resulted in David’s casting in the role of Sam Cooke in the movie, “Ali” reprising Cooke’s classic “Bring It On Home To Me,” an experience he found exhilarating and rewarding. Within a couple of years, David was back on the road with his mother, opening for her with a set of standards, “songs associated with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr., me with just a piano accompaniment. The last few years have been amazing: I’ve been to every continent and so many countries – the length and breadth of the UK, Brazil. France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, all of Scandanavia, Austria, South Africa, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong…”David’s latest work reveals his multi-faceted musicality with a focus on what he calls ‘acoustic soul music,’ drawing from influences such as Bill Withers and James Taylor (both renowned for their work as prolific singer/songwriters of the first order), while utilizing a vocal style that is texturally reminiscent of his famous Mom, at times soothing, smooth, intimate and soulful.Notes David, “I write from an acoustic guitar standpoint and I’d like my recorded music to be as close to how it was in its original from when I wrote it.” A perfect example: “Seven,” an Elliott composition, “inspired by the Biblical story of Joseph. What’s been most apparent to me in my life is that everything goes in cycles. Life is about change, about the peaks and valleys, the ups and downs…”Committed to having his music convey lyrical messages that resonate for audiences everywhere, “Past Go” is a Tim Miner composition that David describes as “in that Crosby-Stills-Nash vein,” a beautiful song that he says “reflects what’s going on right now everywhere. We’re in need of and are looking for change but for that to take place, we have to let go of the past. That is as true in one-on-one relationships as it is in dealing with the world in general. It’s about looking forward, living and loving.” He notes that “working with other writers such as Tim on songs I didn’t write – such as “Made For Me” – speak to what’s happened in my life. I think of my music as real, like an open diary reflecting very much what’s going on with me.”The one cover tune in David’s new repertoire is a piece he heard about seven years when working with his mother on organizing her CD collection. “I picked up a CD called “Dionne Warwick Love Songs” and it contained “Love Song.” From the first time I heard it, I was struck by the beautiful message it contained. It is as relevant today as when my Mom first recorded it in 1971. The simple intimacy of it and the importance of us opening up to truth, freedom and love blew me away. I knew I had to do it myself, to put my own spin on it.” In David’s hands, the tune – originally written and recorded by British singer/songwriter Lesley Duncan – is given a distinctive percussive feel, the message as impactful as ever.“Something I Need To Say,” another Miner composition, has shades of “Here And Now” and David says that anytime there’s even a hint of comparison to Luther Vandross, “I take it as a great compliment. He was – and still is – one of the greatest voices in the world of pop and R&B.” Epitomizing his ‘acoustic soul’ approach, the lilting, easy-going “Half Way Around The World” is David’s ode “to all the beautiful women everywhere!” ‘Nuff said!Aware from traveling the world with Dionne that he’s been able to gain a global perspective on music, David says he’s seen “how music can touch people so deeply. With the kind of material I’m doing now, I want to create my own niche. I’m truly ready to get out there and have a long career, making great records and performing.” Blessed with a rich and soulful vocal style that crosses pop and R&B, a solid musical resume of his own and roots in a family that has impacted the world of contemporary popular music for over forty years, David Elliott is indeed, ready![LOVEMYFLASH]