A Star Among Us
by J. Gerenraich
Having written a song that is set to be released on one of the country’s most anticipated records, David Elliott Johnson is riding high. The tune is titled “Over” and it appears on Blake Shelton’s new record, “Red, River, Blue.” This St. Augustine local hides amongst the crowd of soccer moms at RB Hunt Elementary where he picks up his son as well as the farmer’s market with his wife searching for the night’s gastronomic fair. In ripped blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, there is nothing pretentious or, for that matter, obvious about him. Unless you happen to get a glimpse of his tattooed arms, David appears to be just a regular guy around town.
I was fortunate enough to get to talk with and listen to David as he shared his thoughts and excitement with me about the anticipated release on July 12, 2011. It was hard to hide my jaw dropping expression when I learned that he has performed live with such iconic names such as Don Henley, Bruce Springsteen, Glen Frey and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few. Through years of ups and downs, the music industry has been a fickle lover at best. It seems as though time has allowed things to come full circle in all aspects of his life.
As he sips his coffee, the wedding ring he wears is a symbol of pride and peace for him as he has settled down with his wife and son here in Saint Augustine. “Living in Saint Augustine brings me a comfort, a peace, that I haven’t found in any other city I’ve lived in. L.A., NY, Miami, Nashville, they are great for connecting with people but, in my life, there needs to be a very cut and dry balance between your life and what you do to pay for it. For years, I chased every opportunity that I could taste in the wind. I didn’t know how to divide my time to have relationships outside the industry. Major fail, took years to figure that one out. Actually, it took my wife to hip me to a very interesting and painful reality.”
With as much experience and success that David has achieved over the years, it is refreshing to see that he is humble and quite modest, when referring to his achievements. “Someone once asked me, do you realize all the amazing accomplishments you have achieved, in your life, ever taken the time to breathe it in or celebrate them? My answer has always been the same, I’m too busy trying to do it again without any mistakes and tantrums to think about what I just did.” David has been playing drums since he could hold a pair of drum sticks and was producing major label artists and touring with Internationally recognized acts by the age of 17. With a resume pages long, it is an honor to be given the chance to review this artist’s life with him, a life that began as the son of a drummer.
David’s father was a respectable and well known jazz drummer on Miami Beach who played with the greats, such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. It was a tough act to follow, especially since David’s musical tastes ventured outside of Jazz. For years he sought his father’s approval, which could have accounted for David’s relentless spirit and drive when it came to his accomplishments. The song “Over” is written for his father in homage. “I wrote the song in an effort to reach my father through the medium we were both cursed by, music. It is in our blood, our hearts, in our breath, in everything we do. The song’s opening line, If I could, I would dare, feed your dreams and starve your fears, was the most personal line I’d ever written. It was the truth. The chorus, Tell me what I have to do to win you over, was one of the more painful I’d every written. Since then, I’ve recognized my ability to know when I am writing from my heart and when I am just putting pen to paper to take up space. Writing from the heart is frightening, painful, even humiliating; much, much worse than a really bad hair cut.” After dealing with the loss of his father several years ago, David has settled into a life he calls “home.” The release of “Over” symbolizes more than just a song on a record. It represents a lifetime of trials and tribulations between a father and a son. Before he passed, David’s father said, “I know you’ve spent your life trying to impress me with all of your incredible accomplishments. But what you didn’t know was, what I was impressed with the most about you was the simple fact that you were my son.” David responded with subtle humor, “You couldn’t have told me this two decades ago? Do you know the pain and craziness in life you could have afforded me?” He goes on to say, “That is the way I live for my son, I let him know everyday how proud I am to be his father.”
David’s sense of humor is evident in his casual remarks about missed opportunities. “One’s past does not make the person who he is today, living this moment makes you who you are right now. Being true, being real. That is all that matters to me.” Today he is speaking of his latest endeavor, video production. Local residents may have seen his commercials for Blue Water Jewelers, Conch House and the Tasting Room. His latest production was for Bayview Health Care. “I was called to do a promotional video for their facilities which became a labor of love. Those people are amazing over there. I’ve never seen so many dedicated people to the caring and well being of those in need. Very emotional at times. But that is why I love what I do, I get to be emotionally free and feel what I do. I believe people pick up on that in anything you do. Heart, soul, blood, sweat, old school ways. There used to be no other way.”
His passion is evident in his voice, spirit and in his music. The release of “Over” will not only be a long awaited success for David, but a catharsis as well. It is an honor to have someone as talented and well respected as Blake Shelton perform his song. I, too, will be one of the many pre-ordering the new record, if only to share in the enjoyment and excitement of the much anticipated release of “Over.” His love of music comes across in everything he does. It’s a pleasure knowing that someone with such success and talent can live in a quiet town such as Saint Augustine. “I have a group of guys that get together each Wednesday. We drink scotch and spin vinyl. We love listening to great records for inspiration. Back when an engineer would press record and musicians all at once would play a song. Yeah, real music, real songs.”
David can be heard singing and drumming locally with his friends, bassist Rusty Springfield and guitarist Tony Scozzarro, in their jazz trio Chaos Theory. You can also hear his recorded talents with local artists Will Pearsall, Liz Williamson, Deron Baker, and The Morse Family Band. He currently records and produces musical artists and videos in his private home facility. For more information visit ddstarmusic.com