Dave’s Bio

 

Well let’s see, my dad went to Nam in ’68.  That was around the time my buddies Tony and Paul and I got interested in playing music.  So, with my dad gone, I was able to talk mom into getting me a bass guitar and amp that Christmas.  It wasn’t long after that we played our first gig, for a whopping $10 (split five ways), at a CYO meeting on Westover AFB.  We hooked up with an agent who taught us what being “tight” was, and he put us on the radio, playing live outdoors at Mount Tom amusement park.  We also played private parties. When I was 15, Daddy came back from Nam and was transferred to Tampa, so that was the end of the “Ultimate Sounds” in the summer of ‘69.

 

In Brandon, I soon hooked up with Mark Williams, Adrian Albritton, and Jeff Paramore as the “Lynwood Tick Band”, which was a spoof on the dean of boys name at Brandon High. We played Cream, Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Traffic, and a lot of rock and roll for high school dances and parties.  Later, Mark and I teamed with Steve Perry on drums and formed a mostly original 3 piece band, “Smythe Bros”, that provided real musical growth for me through extensive improvisation and song writing. We shared the stage at an outdoor festival with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Goose Creek Symphony, and others, in 1971.

 

Later that year my draft number came up, so I joined the Navy, figuring they’d give me a bed to sleep in rather than a foxhole.

 

While stationed in Pensacola on the USS Lexington, I started jamming with Randy and Leroy Koetz, and Reed Smith, eventually forming the fusion band “Theatre” playing clubs in the Pensacola area. After disbanding, I played lead guitar in a funk band, “Mad House” until late 1976 when I returned to Tampa.

 

I played bass in the house band at the Comtemporary Hotel at Disney World in 1977, and then joined “Revolver” fronted by Buddy Richardson of White Witch.

 

In1978 I took a regular job and quit playing music full time.  I got myself a guitar and played that when I wasn’t playing bass.

 

During the 90’s I jammed quite a lot with friends and further developed my guitar work eventually forming “The WildCard Band” in 2002 with John Gullans on drums and Harry Jones on bass as a blues rock jam band.  WildCard played at parties and Uncle Fat's pub for 3 years. 

 

Now I've gone back to my roots laying down the beat on bass for the Funk Monsters.