David Maurice Carron was born, to Pat Reid and Mike
Carron of Pittsfield, Massachusetts on February 5, 1949. David
began to sing at the tender age of three, singing was second nature; it was his
gift. He spent many years with his grand parents at Mount Hope Farm, where he
would help his grandfather tend to the cows. Those were some of his most
precious memories.
In
1964, David formed his first rock band, The Marksmen. The band consisted
of David Carron, lead vocals and rhythm guitar. David Grover, lead guitar and
harmony, Rick Fetridge on Bass, and Mark Knight on drums. The Marksmen recorded
a metal record in 1966 with a couple of songs; "Roses are Red" and
"Cause I’m Sure" written by Joe Torre, also
a Pittsfield
native. The Marksmen played The Lighthouse and clubs throughout the Northeast
and were a very popular local band. One day the Marksmen played at the public
beach on Pontoosuc
Lake, Wendy drove over in
her boat, to watch, as soon as the concert was over, everyone showed up at her
cottage. She was delighted and the meeting took place between Wendy and David,
it was love at first sight. First loves and summer loves, they kept it all
together for five years. In 1968 David was a part of the band The Wheatstone
Bridge Band. They recorded on Epic Records the Paul Simon single,
"Cloudy". Soon after the short life of the Wheatstone Bridge Band,
David joined forces with Mick Valenti to form the rock band Quarry. In 1970, Wendy went to Florida
to open her stores and David was touring Venezuela with The Quarry doing
the band thing. With David Carron’s rhythm guitar and
lead vocals, Mike Fury playing lead, Dan Velika on bass and Mick Valenti on
drums, this band played clubs from New York to Boston. Managed by Barry
Hollister, they played The Filmore East and West, The Electric Circus,
Electric Factory in Philadelphia and then on to become the house band on
the free stage at "Woodstock". The Quarry went on to the Texas
International Pop Festival and played there on the main stage with Led
Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and then continued west with Babs and the Merry
Pranksters on "Furthur" to the Family Dog and San Francisco. They returned to The
Berkshires and took up residence at the famed Music Inn in Lenox, MA.
In the late 1970’s, they recorded "Mockin’ Bird Hill" on Berkshire
Harmony Records. Not being the rock & roll music The Quarry was known for,
it wasn’t the most successful of their ventures. Soon after the release of the
single, The Quarry broke up for good and David began performing solo.
....
In
May of 1972 David had a baby girl "Serena Rainbow"; he kept a solo
singing career and continued writing. David took up residence in Glendale with Arlene
Welch to raise his child. In 1975 Serena and her mom moved to Hawaii and David stayed in the Berkshires.
Now back in the area and time on his hands, he started jammin’
with his buddy David Grover and soon Shenandoah was formed. Shenandoah
was David Carron, David Grover, Terry Hall and Dan Velika, they toured New England and began recording at Shaggy Dog Studios in
Stockbridge. Arlo Guthrie heard them play at an outdoor concert and
asked them to back him up on the road. Accepting the offer they began to tour
with Arlo in 1974. David was getting tired of the road and disillusioned. In
November 1976, he left the group and began solo work.
....
During
the early 70’s Wendy went to Gainesville to be
near her brothers, who were both studying architecture at the University of Florida.
She opened her first store in 1972 and within the next 5 years she would open 4
more stores with partner Michael Laurenzi and in 1973 they had a baby girl,
Onchiota Namid. Wendy and Minnie Ripperton met in Gainesville 1971, they were both Scorpios and
both had Leo daughters a year a part. Maya born in 72’ and
Onchi born in 73’. Minnie and Wendy were very close, she would spend
much of her time shopping at Wendy’s stores and together they would create new
designs for Minnie’s stage performances. They even worked together on Sundays
to create radio dramas for Minnie’s husband, Dick’s show "Little
Wolf". What fun was had, but that is another whole book in itself. In 1974
Minnie and her family left Gainesville
for LA... Stevie Wonder asked Minnie to move there and record an album
"Perfect Angel". Wendy spent
that summer in Lanesboro at her cottage on Pontoosuc Lake.
David just happened to drive by and stop to see if anyone was there. Wendy
opened the door and the rest is history until death do us part.
....
After
reuniting with his first love Wendy, they moved to Hillsdale NY
and spent the winter in a remote cabin in the woods. They went out to LA and
spent a month with Wendy’s good friend Minnie Ripperton. At the time Wendy was
working for Krishna Fashions, they flew her to LA for the boutique show
and David flew out to stay with his cousin Bruce Reid. Wendy and David could
not stand to be apart, so Wendy asked Minnie if they could both stay with her.
She graciously opened her arms and her home to them for the next month. Being
Minnie’s guest in Beverly Hills
would gift them with experiences and a roll of good fortune that smiled on them
until David’s untimely death in 1985. Wendy had stores in Gainesville, Florida
and was buying for her five businesses while designing She was also doing some
designs for Minnie Ripperton as well as other popular artists. Her designs were
in Vogue magazine, Cosmopolitan, Playboy and others. They
had the greatest Beautiful log cabin. It was romantic and wonderful.
....
That
spring In June of 1977, David’s cousin Bruce Reid introduced David to John
Weider. John had been with the Animals earlier in his career and
wrote songs like "Sky Pilot", "San Franciscan Nights"
and "When I Was Young". The two clicked immediately and began
jamming. Soon they began collaborating and songwriting. John Weider was a
classical violinist and the two made some great tapes. On July 5th they gave
their first demo to Ron Stone of Lookout Management, the response was very
favorable. They now needed a band to be able to play live. In August they met
the Buck brothers, identical twins, Dana, a bass player and David, a drummer.
It was a good match and so Galaxy was born.
....
John
Baruck, working at that
time with Irving Azoff, manager of the Eagles and about to branch out on his
own with Baruck Consolo Management. John also managed Minnie, REO
Speedwagon and others. He was a wonderful person and good friend. In November,
they played a gig at The Troubador for the
record companies and a deal was in the works.
....
In
January after negotiations the now Gulliver was signed to Columbia
records to make their first album on Columbia’s new spin off label Outlook
records with Elliot Roberts, manager of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom
Petty and others. On February 5th David turns 29 with a record deal under his
belt. At this point they asked John Baruck to be their manager and it all was a
go. After rehearsing for a month the band began recording "Ridin the
Wind" at Larabee Studios. The album was completed in June and
on July 10th Ken Perry does a test pressing at Capitol Records.
The band chose Glen Christenson as their art director and Bob Jenkins
as photographer and in August cover meetings and photo sessions begin. A
January release date was scheduled for the album!
....
On
January 1st 1979, Wendy & David experienced their first and hopefully the
last earthquake 4.9 on the Richter scale. Scary! The album was out and David
saw the first ad in Record World. On Feb 26 it was Pick
of the Week in Record World. March it was in Billboard’s Southwest
breakout. April "The Wonder of it All" is picked as the single
off the album and in May the tour of the Southwest begins. Gulliver was
received very well.
....
David
came home from tour tired and began questioning his want to be a Rock Star. He
wants to stay home with family and write music, doesn’t want to tour anymore. David
disbanded Gulliver in August of 1979, had his first full-on hair cut in 13
years and begins jamming in the garage with Davey Johnstone. Davey &
David enjoyed much playing together; they even recorded two songs at Dee
Murray’s studio in the Hollywood Hills. In November, Steve Scorfina
previously of Pavlov’s Dog and Tommy Nickerson joined together
with David to record songs in the garage, "Clones, We’re all " was
one of those songs. Davey Johnstone hears "Clones" and loves it,
wants to take it to Alice Cooper. Alice
hears it and wants it to be the single off the album Flush the Fashion.
David doesn’t want to give it up...negotiations begin. Finally after keeping
100% of the writers’ rights and the publishing rights, he agrees to let Alice do the song. Roy
Thomas Baker is thrilled! April 14th "Clones" is picked as the
Cashbox single. Upon release" Clones" comes in with a bullet at 17 in
Billboard magazine.....
....
David
is beginning to feel very strongly about not wanting to leave his family again
for another tour; he is questioning his want to be a "rock star". In
the fall of 1981 David returns home from a big meeting in LA. He was offered a
very major deal. Perplexed and not seemingly happy about it, he sat down with
Wendy in a quiet moment and said "I don’t want to be a rock star, I want
to go back to Massachusetts
and have a baby and raise cows." Wendy, stunned, yet supportive, told
David that whatever he wanted to do, she was with him, "from now till
forever" and so it was. On Wendy’s birthday October 24, 1980, they packed
up all their stuff and moved back to the Berkshires to Becket.
....
David
began solo work, song writing, and recording, he was truly happy and content,
no cows, but some lived down the road close enough to visit. Within the year
Wendy was pregnant with the child they always dreamed they would have together.
David joined a group called Hip Pocket soon changed some band members
and their name to Blindate. They played local clubs, the first Artabout
in Berkshire County. David accepted his first major
role in Jesus Christ Superstar at The Berkshire Public Theater in Pittsfield, under the
direction of Frank Bessell. This production was not only performed in Pittsfield, but at The
Egg in Albany on Easter Sunday. It was a very special show and David was an
incredible Jesus, very natural to the part of a gentle, spiritual man.
....
In
1982, Blindate began writing and recording songs. David did some songwriting
with John Zarvis who played lead guitar. Ray Tart played bass and
Jimmy Harte played drums and added high background vocals. What a nice
blend of musicians, music and friends. Blindate went on to record videos, play
at Trax in NYC, branch out to perform in Boston, Nantucket, Long Island
and all over the Northeast. In 1983 David recorded his first manufactured
video "Morning Light". David teamed up with long time friend Lee
Everett and Rick Fetridge and worked long hours in Lee’s studio to create
the footage for the next video. "Long nights, but full
of laughter and fun." David growing up was known as the class
clown, some things never change! David had a natural ability to find the joke
in all of life.
....
In
1984, David co-wrote a song with Jay Fruet called "Something
Happens". They recorded it at Derek Studios with Greg Steele
and took video footage of the live recording for the next video. David remained
writing and singing solo for the next year. On June 16th 1985 David complained
of a headache, it was Father’s Day. The next day David had a brain aneurysm and
was rushed to Berkshire
Medical Center
where they gave Wendy the worst news of her life. She requested he be rushed to
Boston, which
he was. David struggled to hang on, yet the choice ultimately was not his. Two
weeks later he was pronounced brain dead at Massachusetts General Hospital.
....
One
of David’s early songs was written about his positive view of death
"Sparrow Thru a Rainbow", where he was able to give comfort in life
to any who thought that death would be the end, it is not, it is only
different. And for the most part there is some healing in knowing his death was
peaceful, his pain was short and his gentle spirit would speak to many through
his music, forever.....
....
....