Rob Donavan profile picture

Rob Donavan

FAITH. HOPE. LOVE. GUITARS & TUBE AMPS!

About Me

Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Purple

THE LATEST CD: "SHE'S GOT SOUL"...CLICK HERE TO ORDER! 14 original cuts full of groove!DALLAS BLUES: In 1997 I moved to Dallas and jumped right into the blues jam scene. Man, things were really hopping then! Hash Brown's jam at the Bone on Tuesdays was still running really strong at the time and in my opinion you could hear some of the finest off-the-cuff, skin-of yer-neck blues playing anywhere in the metroplex when the magic was right. I still had a lot to learn about blues and I soaked it in like a sponge. Every week was like a new lesson. ------------------------------------------- PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: After a couple of years of playing in some other people's bands I started doing gigs of my own and trying to put together all the pieces and fragments into a style or at least a sense of identity about the music I wanted to play. I really love the old masters and think it's very important to try to keep the spirit of their music alive. I don't always PLAY too much like a traditionalist cos I'm still a brash rock n roller at heart but I try to at least THINK like a traditionalist. I've been lucky enough to share the stage with many Texas blues personalities such as Hash Brown, Holland K. Smith, Sam Myers, Nick Curran, Blue Lisa, Kim Davis, Miss Marcy, Chris Ruest, Kathy Prather, Marvin Seals, Johnny Moeller, Pops Carter, Robin Banks, Ray Davis, Bobby Walker, Chris Zalez, Bill Johnston, Texas Johnny Boy, Mitch Palmer, Kerrie Lepai, and Debie Babcock. I always tell people, I got my music degree in college but my real education started when I came to Dallas.----WE CAN'T HELP IT! IT'S A SICKNESS: Blues is not the most popular music to play. Lots of times people just want to hear something from the radio. I can understand that. It's not that people like myself don't like other kinds of music...it's just that we're compelled to play blues! We can't help it; it's really a sickness. A sickness we do not want to be cured of. There is a bigger picture that we all fit in to. As more of the world renowned old time honored blues masters pass on from this world they leave gaping holes that no one will ever fill. There are great young players coming up but they do their thing closer to the ground and will probably never become really famous cos big labels won't usually sign it and lots of clubs won't book it. That's not really the point. Blues will be kept alive at the street level, in the trenches, one club date at a time and 12 bars at a time. That's what I hope to spend the rest of my life doing and if I can make some small contribution I will be happy!?! ---------YOU LIKE BLUES EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT!!! I absolutely believe that everyone likes blues whether they know it or not. Blues is the common foundation for the majority of popular music we all listen to everyday. There would be no rock n roll with out the blues. Or jazz. Or soul. Or R&B. Or any hybrid or offshoot or mutation of ANY of those. That is why is blues needs to be cherished!

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/30/2006
Band Website: Yer lookin at it, jack
Band Members: Rob Donavan. guitar & vocals. Pleased to meet ya! I'm very blessed to be able to make music with a lot of cool people here in Dallas...... THE SHAKES: Tony DeCicco as "Mr. Bass"; on skins we have Mr. Darren Denney . They're good boys & have been playing music with me on & off for years. Me, Tony, and Darren frequently play as the house rhythm section for Big Bob Fisk's TEXAS BLUES CRUISE jams. Come by & jam with us! I play guitar for BLUE LISA & THE BIG D PLAYBOYS. I also play rock n roll with THE LEEWAYS: Kenny "Big Head" Chavez on bass and Ronno Franklin on drums. I love playing sub gigs! Has sickness, flakyness, incarceration, or a scheduling conflict left you a band member short for your next show? Need someone who can jump right in and make it happen? I will play guitar or bass for you too if the price is right!
Influences: Jesus Christ, from whom Blessings flow. Plus Hash Brown (King of the Dallas blues scene! Or at least a crown prince), Sam Myers, old Fab T-Birds, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy, The Wolf (especially with Hubert and/or Willie), Elmore James, Earl Hooker, Johnny Guitar Watson, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Guitar Slim, those Vaughan brothers, Peter Green, Magic Sam, Wes Montgomery, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Rory Gallagher, Luther Allison, Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Mr. Clapton, Mr. Beck, Mr. Page, North Mississippi AllStars, Fat Possum stuff like Jr Kimbrough & RL Burnside & T-Model Ford, that Crazy Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Slim Harpo, T-Bone, Albert Collins, Sonny Boy II, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, old Sun Records stuff, early Bobby Blue Bland, early Ike Turner, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Paladins, Chris Duarte, Memphis P-Tails, Holland K. Smith, Jim Suhler, Mike Morgan, Nick Curran, Chris Ruest and like a million other blues guys. Sorry, blues girls too. Irish music! Rock & Roll...Purple, Zep, Stones, Allmans, Black Crowes, Free & BadCo, Aerosmith, Yardbirds, Hendrix, some new stuff like QOTSA & The Strokes. A generous helping of classical especially Wagner, Bach, & Vivaldi.
Sounds Like: ROB SAYS: Depends on my mood, what I've been listening to, and what shape I'm in! Maybe something smooth, maybe something jagged & rough, maybe something sweet, maybe something nasty? Always with as much heart & soul as possible! ************************ THEY SAY: "Music is a celebration of life. The direct offspring of the trials and tribulations of everyday occurrences, and the triumphs of the spirit. Rob Donavan uses these songs as a conduit to celebrate his emotions. The fact that honesty and truth come out in the music he presents to us is no surprise to myself, or the many blues lovers that have heard Rob Donavan's heartfelt performances through the years, Rob has a way of taking a feeling and transforming it into a musical expression. Live life in the present today and celebrate with him. TURN IT UP, SIT BACK AND ENJOY!" - Hash Brown, liner notes to "She's Got Soul" August 2005 ************************ THEY SAY: "You can take all your fancy big city heavy duty fan dangled blues albums! Give me good old fashion, homegrown, hard driving, honest, heartfelt blues any day of the week....it's moments like this that give life meaning. There are some awesome original tracks to be sampled here. Here's what I like about Rob Donavan: he's real. It comes across in every song. He's genuine and has a great ability to showcase his emotions and talents into great music." - Bill Fountain, SOUTHWEST BLUES Nov 2005 ************************ THEY SAY: "If you attend the various jams in and around Dallas, it won’t take too long to find that one of the areas most frequent and congenial players is Rob Donavan. I look at his playing as being smoother and a bit more melodic in style than many players here in Dallas." - Big Jim Wells, SOUTHWEST BLUES Nov 1999
Record Label: http://cdbaby.com/cd/robdonavan2
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Musician at the Gates of Heaven

Check-in at the entrance to heaven. "What did you do on Earth?" "I was a surgeon. I helped the lame to walk." "Well, go right on in through the Pearly Gates" "What did you do on Earth?" "I was a schoo...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:45:00 PST

Blues Fest in Plano 4/12/08 finally here!

Hi everyone,Great live blues happening in Plano TX this next weekend! BOWL FULL OF BLUES Saturday 4/12/208 from 6:30 to 10:30 PM Ampitheater at Oak Point Park 2801 East Spring Creek ParkwaySets by Blu...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:08:00 PST

Good Friday!

When I got up this morning I forgot it was Good Friday...had to be reminded by the radio. Isn’t that horrible? With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:34:00 PST

Blues primer for those not in the know

Dean, a good friend of mine & fellow blues lover from Harman Music Group sent me this; thought I'd pass it on. Now I gotta tell him "Blues don't come from no digital effect pedal gizmo"... Ju...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:19:00 PST

Plano Blues Bowl coming in April!

Mark your calendars for a dynamite blues fest April 12th in Plano....The Plano Blues Bowl, held in the Ampitheater in Oak Point Park. Music starts at 6 PM. Scheduled to appear are The Bulldogs, Blue L...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:11:00 PST

New music for Blue Lisa & Leeway pages

Hay, New live MP3 performances on the Blue Lisa & Leeways pages. I tried to use ones with my guitar in tune! Check em out at: www.myspace.com/bluelisablues www.myspace.com/theleeways  ...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:03:00 PST

Armand Hussein Memorial Benefit RECAP

Saturday Jan 12th was a very good day in Dallas. The all day show at the Mardi Gras Cafe was a great success. With the added contibutions sent in by friends, fans, and well wishers, I am told we have ...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:22:00 PST

Arman Hussein memorial benefit

Please come out and help us pay for the funeral of a dear friend, Arman Hussien, who passed away Dec 31 here in Dallas. In addition to being a world champion wrestler from the glory days, he was also ...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:32:00 PST

Christmas card from The Lord

Dear Children,It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks aretaking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn'tactually born during this time of the year and ...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:08:00 PST

Help Hungry Texans this Holiday Season

Please stop by the website for the North Texas Food Bank and help if you can. They do a really good job on helping out our neighbors who are in need. http://www.ntxfoodbank.org/ Peace, Rob...
Posted by Rob Donavan on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:46:00 PST