David Gerald performs at St. George Concert in the Park in April
By Gary Sanders
David Gerald will take the stage at Vernon Worthen Park in St. George as the 2019 St. George Concert in the Park season kicks off April 8 at 7:30 p.m.
The son of rural Mississippi born-and-raised parents, Gerald grew up to the sounds of the blues and R&B music in his hometown of Detroit. He’s the youngest of 11 children, six of whom were born and partly raised in Mississippi.
“Because segregation and racial discrimination were so bad in Mississippi at the time, my dad moved the family north to Detroit when he was 33 so we’d have a better chance at the American dream,” Gerald said.
Gerald’s dynamic, blues-infused rock/soul hybrid has been captivating audiences across the country for over a decade. He started playing guitar at 14, influenced by Prince and ’80s rock guitarists.
“I was lucky enough to have a neighbor who was a guitarist and gave me scrap guitars,” Gerald said. “I would piece them together and build ‘Frankenstein’ guitars. They were horrible to play and sounded bad, but I had to play music. It was and is my destiny. I finally scraped up enough money to buy an old amp, and I was happy.”
Gerald performed in many local blues, R&B, and rock bands, cutting his guitar and vocal chops live. Finding it hard to keep a band together, Gerald learned to play guitar, bass, keys, and drums. Using two antiquated cassette recorders, he would overdub each part individually until the song was complete.
“The end result sounded horrible, and the songs would not end up in the same key they started in,” Gerald said. “But it got my songs recorded.” This was the beginning of his songwriting, most of which were pop and rock tunes during the ‘80s. Around the age of 24, he began experimenting with computers to write music. As he began to explore the music of blues heavyweights like Albert King, ZZ Hill, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, his sound evolved and expanded to where it is today. Gerald is now playing nationally with his own band. He performs at clubs and festivals across the United States.
Gerald’s music has been receiving widespread radio play along with recognition in the blues and rock communities. His 2009 debut CD, “Hell And Back,” continues to receive consistent airplay while his stirring live performances have brought widespread acclaim. Recently, Gerald was listed as No. 1 on the ReverbNation blues charts for Michigan Blues artists. “Hell and Back” reached No. 1 on Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart for Michigan-based artists and remained in the top 20 for many weeks in a row.
Gerald’s long awaited new album, “N2U,” was released in April 2018. Videos from two of the album’s ten tracks of blues-infused “Rock N Soul” had begun to leak out across the internet prior to the release, creating a groundswell of excitement in anticipation.
“This album has been a long time coming,” Gerald said. “I put together these songs for myself, my friends, and supporters. It’s all about new thoughts, new experiences, and deeply felt emotions. I hope everyone who listens can find something that touches them. Something they can relate to.”
“N2U” is a true solo effort. With the exception of two live tracks on which he’s backed by his band, Gerald not only plays every instrument on the album’s eight studio tracks but also handled all of the recording and mixing duties.
Sponsored by the City of St. George with funding from the City of St. George RAP Tax, the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Concert in the Park 2019 series is free and open to the public. Don’t miss the second Monday of each month April through September. Park seating is available. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, food, and the family. For more information call (435) 627-4525. Vernon Worthen Park is located at 300 S 400 E in St. George.
Articles related to “David Gerald performs at St. George Concert in the Park in April”
Utah Legislature approves three-year bachelor degree program at SUU
Art Adventures takes participants to Jimmie Jones home for plein air painting
