David A. Lane
– Keyboards, Vocals & Guitar
Growing up on St. Simons Island, Georgia, David Lane began his study of music at an early age, and both his parents are accomplished musicians. He started on cello in the fifth grade and switched to trombone in middle school. Throughout high school, David played in the jazz, concert, and marching bands at Glynn Academy in Brunswick, GA. He began piano in middle school and, before graduating high school became a popular entertainer throughout the Golden Isles. In addition to playing for private parties and wedding receptions, he also played regularly at the first genuine gourmet restaurant on St. Simons, at the Jekyll Island Club Radisson Resort on Jekyll Island, and at nearly every bar and hotel in the area, performing primarily as a soloist or as accompanist to a singer or instrumentalist.
At 15, he met and became great friends with pianist Emma Kelly, Lady of 6,000 songs, who was playing on St. Simons at the time. A 1998 inductee into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Emma referred to David as a "Senior Citizen" because of his requests for and familiarity with lesser known torch songs of the 1930s. David proudly carries on some of Emma’s style and repertoire.
In 1984, he bought the first digital synthesizer of the time, a Yamaha DX-7, so that he could perform where there was not a piano and the number of gigs available to him increased greatly. He regularly played for an auction house in Jesup where he had to rent a generator before trekking to the middle of the wilderness to perform in a field. He particularly enjoyed being invited to perform numerous times throughout the state with the second generation of the original "Washboard Band,” a traditional old-time washboard band quartet, consisting of a bass player with a duct-taped-together standup bass, a washboard player with washboard on his chest and thimbles on his fingers, a guitarist, and David adding vibes and horns. The Washboard Band played classics such as “Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “When You're Smiling,” “Caledonia,” and others.
David moved to Atlanta in 1988 to attend Georgia State University but remained a semi-regular wherever Emma was playing. On his way home to St. Simons Island every few months, he would stop at Emma’s on River Street in Savannah to see her perform. Despite her failing eyesight, Emma always recognized David from the crowd and invited him to play while she took a rare break.
David graduated Cum Laude from Georgia State University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Music and Recording, which included music business and engineering courses covering topics such as artist management, promotion, and studio engineering. Since graduation, he has also done some freelance work in Graphic Design on CDs, and joined the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), gaining the ability to vote for Grammys. He has completely designed 12 CDs since his first one in 1994 (see www.prettycrafty.com/design) and continues to complete one or two a year.
He has played with a number of bands and artists in the Atlanta area, including a 20-piece big band, numerous small jazz combos, Secret Lover, Blues Mafia, Sheffield Webb, Sammy Blue, Roger “Hurricane” Wilson, Judy Arnold, Greg McLain and others. Commercially released album credits include Roger “Hurricane” Wilson's debut album "Hurricane Blues,” Sheffield Webb's "Time Out," and Sammy Blue's "Everythang & Mo.”
Prior to starting the musical get-togethers that led to the BrightWater band's formation, David had never sung in public. Emma Kelly, who took up singing in her 50s, had often encouraged David to sing and made him promise not to wait as long as she did. David now sings harmony on most songs and will take a few lead parts from time to time. David has also picked up guitar in the past few years and enjoys playing backup and lead parts with the band as well.
David is married and currently works as a software developer in the enterprise project management office of a major Atlanta financial institution.