David Bryan's Biography.

 

As the keyboard player, songwriter and founding member of Bon Jovi, David Bryan has seen and learned a lot about music and the music business in the past 17 years. After selling 90 million albums, traveling the world and playing to millions of people in 42 countries and circling the globe 13 times and living through the rock and roll years, the grunge years, the rap years and everything in between and returning to the stage earlier this year with the band and a hit record, David has a lot of experiences, memories and tales to tell. Add to that his cherished family, including a brand new baby girl, and no less than two Broadway musicals in development, it's easy to see what Bryan has been up to in the time Bon Jovi has been off the road.

 

David wrote and released his first solo record, Lunar Eclipse (Rounder/Universal) an instrumental collection with a single vocal bonus track highlighting all of the aspects of his training and influences – blues, classical, jazz and of course, rock & roll.
 

Written and recorded entirely by Bryan and produced with Larry Fast, all of the music is produced in his home studio, which is fully equipped with a wide variety of technological wizardry in addition to a collection of classic pianos. The keyboard orchestrations are all Bryan's handiwork.

 

After suffering a potentially career ending injury to his finger 5 years ago, Bryan found himself unable to play the piano. After intensive physical rehabilitation for his finger which was almost severed in a home accident, he was introduced to the writer Francine Pascal, author of "Sweet Valley High,’ the classic series of books which are translated all over the world and are now also a syndicated television series about creating a Broadway musical based on the characters. Now, well on its way in development, the show is represented on Lunar Eclipse with the piano piece, "Second Chance." (Stay tuned for news about the show's progress.)
 

At the same time, David became involved with Joe DiPietro, writer of the successful "I Love You You're Perfect, Now Change," and "Over The Hill And Through The Woods." DiPietro asked Bryan to write the music for a project called "Memphis" based on the life of Dewey Phillips, the first white DJ to put black music on the radio. "I Can Love" is the instrumental version of one of the tracks from that work. "It's a really bluesy, r&b, rootsy kind of vibe that I got into writing. And Joe has a great sensibility. It's so different from anything I've ever done, yet so comfortable, I think that means it's working," observes Bryan.
 

To close out the journey, Bryan was persuaded to add his vocal version of "In These Arms," the hit from Bon Jovi's last record which he co-wrote with Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi. "I had made a demo for my publisher of all of the songs I have written which included this and Curtis Steiger's rendition of "This Time," which was a major International hit for him, and everyone who heard it kept saying 'you have to put that on your record,' so here it is... I hope you like it," says Bryan.

 

David has also dedicated his time to become a National Spokesperson for VH1’s Save The Music Program, traveling across the country to many of the 43 cities which participated in the program in 2001. In addition to on site programs and performances, David has also produced a video with VH1 to be used in schools he is not able to visit personally. The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring music education programs in cities across the U.S. and raising awareness of the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth.
 

Born in Edison, New Jersey, David Bryan began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. He continued this classical study with Emery Hack for thirteen years. He enrolled at Rutgers University where he continued his musical education (and pre-med studies), preparing him for an audition at the prestigious Julliard School of Music. After gaining acceptance to the school, the phone rang with Jon Bon Jovi on the other end saying, "The record company just called. We have a record deal." A choice was made and the rest is history.
 

"Piano playing is a dying art. I love the fact that I can be one guy with one instrument evoking an emotional and musical experience," concludes Bryan.
 

David Bryan's first solo record, Lunar Eclipse (Moon Junction Music/Rounder Records) was released on December 5, 2000.
 

Distributed by the Rounder Records Group through Universal Music and Video.
 

Visit David Bryan's website for updated information: www.davidbryan.com