David’s Biography

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David Clawson hails from Danville, Illinois and was raised around music having parents who were musicians. At the age of nine David started playing his dad’s drum set. A self-taught drummer, David grew up playing in the usual school band programs when, in 1978 his sophomore year of high school, he was chosen by local band directors to perform with William “Cat” Anderson, Duke Ellington’s trumpet player of 27 years. About this time David took drum lessons from University of Illinois Alum Bob Towner. For the next couple of years David performed in the Danville Light Opera orchestra pit and was a member of the Danville Municipal Band. After graduating high school in 1980, David started playing in local bands and took two and a half years of college. During this time he did a number of recordings for Blue Orchid Records, which lead to an appearance on the CBS TV program PM Magazine. It was at this time David began teaching private drum lessons, which he continues to this day. The rest of the 1980’s were spent in and out of the hotel circuit with more performances at festivals and shows. This includes his performance with country artist Naomi Hills at the 1985 Broom Corn Festival, a period of time with the incomparable guitarist Keith Harden and a six week stint in Kodiak, Alaska, that changed his life, flying there four days after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The early 1990’s found David switching to bass guitar for two years in the very popular band Q-Public, followed by a move to Cincinnati, Ohio for two years and back to drums with more performances there. Then, with a move to Indianapolis, Indiana, David made friends with power blues guitarist Southside Denny Snyder after doing a tour of the US and Canada in support of Denny’s CD Rolling Home. This friendship deepened when David rejoined Denny in 1999 and stayed with him for the next 7 years. This included loads of gigs and the recording of Denny’s Moving On CD. While with Denny, David performed with, (to name one of many) Pinetop Perkins (Muddy Waters’ keyboard player), and played festivals such as the Muskegon Summer Celebration and Memphis’ Beale Street performances at the International Blues Challenge. During the remainder of the 90’s David recorded a number of CDs and jingles plus, a labor of love, Synchronicity a Police and Sting tribute band. The new millennium found David performing with Severn recording artist Tad Robinson, Mississippi soul singer and JSP recording artist Johnny Rawls, Slippery Noodle Sound recording artist Gordon Bonham, and in January 2006 David hit the road with female guitar slinger Kelly Richey. In a little over a year David recorded three albums for Kelly’s Sweet Lucy record label. The first was a CD called Speechless, an all-instrumental album. The second was a live album with Kelly, while the third was No Man’s Land with singer/songwriter Stephen Luke. During this time David could be heard five days a week on Q-95 DJ Laura Steele’s Prize Patrol Jingle with Duke Tumato on guitar. Recording sessions with artist such as Mike Turner and Dan Holmes as well as a tribute album for the late blues mandolin man Yank Rachell. This led to a show with Andre Faye of Sapphire - The Uppity Blues Women and W.C. Handy Award winning mandolin man Rich DelGrosso. Endless Summer Band is David’s current band with gigs ranging from festivals to corporate shows like, Fuzzy Zoeller’s Wolf Challenge after party, four years in a row, which featured golfer Jon Daily and comedian George Lopez on stage with the band. The Bayview Yacht Race after party on Macinaw Island, MI, five years in a row and Veteran’s shows with Dean Martin’s Ding-a-lings. Shows in and out of the country including corporate parties for pro football Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, plus Churchill Downs and Breeders Cup events as well a private party for Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carrabean, CSI). David plays Zildjian cymbals and is member of NAfME (National Association for Music Education), Percussive Arts Society as well is a BMI songwriter. His career continues to be filled with music and adventures - found in gigs, teaching, tours and recording sessions.