THE DASH BETWEEN THE NUMBERS
Danny was nominated Texas Music Awards’ Singer/Songwriter of the Year for 2008. Whether he’s performing his own material, or you’re hearing it recorded by other artists, you can tell immediately that Danny does more than pen great songs. His are warm, spirited, rhythmic, funny and moving expressions of a Texas troubadour.
Singer/songwriter Danny Everitt began his professional musical journey in the Austin, Texas nightclub scene in the 1970's. While attending The University, he formed a band and signed a recording contract with Pompeii Records out of Dallas. After graduating with a degree in Radio-TV-Film he moved to Nashville where he became a staff songwriter and began touring the U.S. as a solo performer for Buddy Lee Attractions. While back in Texas, Danny met an old friend from school who set up an audition at a folk club in Houston. A growing live music scene there captured his imagination. He returned to his home state and enjoyed a very successful reputation as a songwriter and performer in the Montrose area deep in the heart of the city.
He won the New Folk contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival and was a finalist in the American Song Festival in 1979. He formed his own record label - Instant Records, production company - Snug Productions, and publishing company - Jessi Rose Music, BMI. He released his first solo album Fire Down Inside, Instant Records (1981). In 1983 he moved to Los Angeles where he met Eric Burdon of Animals fame, resulting in Everitt’s first major cover. I.R.S. Records released ARK (1984), which featured three of his songs including "Love Is For All Times" the second single off the album. Since its initial thrust onto the airwaves, Los Angeles blues legend, Teresa James and several regional recording artists, have recorded “Love Is For All Times”. International superstar, Demis Russos, released “Take My Hand” in 1985 with massive worldwide airplay. Well-known artists such as Scott McGill, Brook Benton, Johnny Nash, Coco Kallis and Bob Bourgoin have also recorded Everitt’s songs.
In 1990 Danny married and started raising a family. He rarely performed in public but continued writing. After moving back to “Music City” in 1996 he began yet another career as an artist manager with Pennacle Productions. Representing hit songwriters he found new ways to utilize his considerable experience behind the stage.
Between l997 and 2000, with his college days rock band mates, Everitt recorded a CD of their favorite tunes called Dad Was Right, Instant Records (1999). That’s all it took for the performing bug to bite him again. He closed his management company and moved back to Texas where it all began. In 2003 he digitally re-mastered and released Fire Down Inside. The Dallas Songwriters Association recognized Danny as a contest finalist in 2006. He released Cold Wind Cold Rain, Instant Records (2007), which became an instant favorite with Americana radio where it continues to receive airplay in the states and overseas. The Texas Music Academy nominated him Singer/Songwriter of the Year in 2007. Jessi Rose Productions is Danny’s latest project in which he has contracted with over 100 artists and songwriters across the country to book house concerts. He plays listening rooms, festivals and coffee houses year round. Another CD is in production for a 2008 release. He is featured in a soon-to-be-published book about the ‘70’s Houston music scene called The Boys From Houston. Danny Everitt has been called “a moving target” and has no intentions of slowing down.
Influences include: Guy Clark, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Kris Kristofferson, John Lennon, Stephen Stills, and Mickey Newbury.
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Once upon a time Danny:
- Was senior class president in high school.
- Organized and ran a teen club called The Attic in his hometown. He booked The Clique, Fever Tree, Bubble Puppy, and The Moving Sidewalks.
- Was in a rock band in college called Dogfood featuring Seab Meador. They played a concert at the State School for the Deaf.
- Opened for ZZ Top at the first Armadillo World Headquarters concert.
- Briefly played bass with a folk group in Kansas City called Pilgrim.
- Jammed all night with David Allen Coe at the King of the Road Hotel in Nashville where he heard Steve Goodman’s “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” before it was recorded.
- Used to regularly pick up songwriter/author Shel Silverstein hitchhiking around Music Row in Nashville “looking for a hit song!”
- Jammed with songwriter Steve Young all night in Nashville. Two nights later traded songs with Waylon Jennings and Linda Hargrove.
- Let REO Speedwagon use his hotel room to rehearse their opening set for Bruce Springsteen that night in Champaign, IL. They left behind cigarette butts, empty beer cans, and no backstage pass.
- Lost both of his guitars and his tape deck, which were ripped off, out of his van in a Jackson, MS nightclub parking lot.
- Discovered that all his worldly possessions were stolen while playing a gig in Houston one year later. All he had left was his new guitar and the clothes on his back.
- Was running through the Denver airport to catch a plane and accidentally collided with and knocked down presidential hopeful, Henry “Scoop” Jackson, while under Secret Service protection.
- Was the very first band to play Rockefeller’s in Houston.
- Was the last band to ever play Theodore’s in Houston.
- Turned down an offer to tape Austin City Limits because it didn’t pay.
- Worked with Shake Russell, Vince Bell, Blaze Foley, Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith, Uncle Walt’s Band, Dana Cooper, Teresa James, and John Vandiver.
- Missed opening for Molly Hatchet when he couldn’t find the venue in Beaumont, TX.
- Inadvertently insulted Ray Davies by poking fun at “Lola” after it had been requested by the Kinks lead man who was a good sport and later bought Everitt a beer.
- Once, when heckled in a Veil, CO nightclub, had a fight with one of the Hawaiian folk duo either Cecillio or Kapono over a girl he did not know.
- Spent six weeks on a banana plantation on the island of Kauai.
- Opened for Townes Van Zandt, Willis Alan Ramsey, J.J. Cale, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Alvin, Jesse Winchester, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rusty Wier, Robert Palmer, Warren Zevon, Steve Goodman, Guy Clark, Marcia Ball, Delbert McClinton, Lyle Lovett, Asleep at the Wheel, Leon Russell, and the Allman Brothers.
- Was headlining at Fitzgerald’s when members of Wet Willie, including Jimmy Hall, came on stage and jammed with his band.
- Gurf Morlix, Billy Block, Steve Beasley, Scott McGill, Jack Saunders, Michael Hart, Jimmy Don Smith, Gerry Hailer, Jay Taylor, Bill Black, Jerry Chambers, Billie Hughes, Mark McKinnon, Robert Scott Williams, Rick Gordon, Wayne Wilkerson, Tomi Lee Bradley, Terry Wilson, and Tony Braunagel have all played in Danny’s bands at one time or another.
- Jammed with Buddy Guy who sat in with his band at Corky’s in Houston.
- Was playing Halloween Night in L.A. and for two songs sitting in, all together, Billy Payne (Little Feat) on piano, Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge) on bass and Robin Ford on guitar.
- Drove boxing promoter Don King to his hotel from an airport in Puerto Rico.
- Once got his rear end pinched by Elton John’s manager at a Malibu dinner party.
- Was asked to audition for the lead singer spot with Wishbone Ash.
- Sold t-shirts on a U.S. tour for Eric Burdon who later cut three of his songs with the original reunited Animals.
- Has played on stage with Gordy Quist, Tom Faulkner, Bob Livingston, Robert Frith, Susan Gibson, Graham Weber, Beth Wood, Lee Roy Parnell, Ernie Wells, Pure Prairie League, Johnny Lee Schell, Tommy Dardar, Gary P. Nunn, Red Young, Bill Champlin, and Stephen Bruton.
- Was once mistaken for Lee Greenwood by restaurant staff in a small Texas town and had to “escape” through a side door.
- Considered going to law school.
- Was mistaken for Paul English by a jazz groupie. The converse has happened to Paul.
- Was mistaken for Bill Murray by a movie star groupie in Hollywood. Unknown if the converse happened to Billy.
Picked up hitchhiker, poet/psychic/songwriter, Charles John Quarto in L.A. Twenty years later became his business manager in Nashville.
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