Biography
David Keith was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He began playing drums at age four and took private lessons from ages eight to eighteen. During his time playing with the William H. Hall High School Concert Jazz Band, David received an award for outstanding musicianship from Berklee College of Music as part of its annual national high school jazz band competition (the band also took first place overall).
In 1996 David moved to New Haven, CT and joined the progressive rock band Mighty Purple, touring the US and releasing several albums. From 2000 through 2006 he played with CT legends Eight To The Bar, performing swing, R&B, and popular American music in the US and Europe, as well as recording several albums.
In 2010, David and sister Megan Chenot formed the Synth Pop band Mission Zero, releasing several albums and touring the US before disbanding in 2017. In 2012 he joined Blackmore’s Night, led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (founding member of Deep Purple and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow). In 2015, Blackmore reformed Rainbow, selecting David to play drums.
Ritchie Blackmore, self-described as "fussy about drummers playing in the groove", says about David’s playing, "Dave plays in the pocket like a metronome, without losing the finesse."
In 2023 David joined Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, twin sons of the late musician and actor Ricky Nelson and grandsons of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, as the drummer for their rock band Nelson and their tribute show to their father, Ricky Nelson Remembered. Also in 2023, David began playing with Blues Rock guitarist and frontwoman, Leilani Kilgore.
David continues to play regularly with Ritchie Blackmore, Gunnar and Mathew Nelson, and Leilani Kilgore in addition to his in-person and remote session work and various live shows with other artists.
Styles and influences
David is proficient in many styles of music, including but not limited to pop, rock, blues, swing, R&B, soul, electronica, industrial rock, and soul music.
Drumming influences include John Bonham, Neil Peart, Steve Gadd, Buddy RIch, Peter Erskine, Bernard Purdie, Stuart Copeland, Cozy Powell, Gene Krupa, Billy Cobham as well as traditional African, Afro-Cuban and Native American tribal drumming.
Musical influences include Jane’s Addiction, The Police, Louis Prima, Steely Dan, Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Duran Duran, Horace Andy, Portishead, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
David plays Ayotte and Fibes drums, and endorses Aquarian Drumheads, Dream Cymbals, Vater Drumsticks, Skygel Damper Pads and No Nuts Cymbal Sleeves. (insert endorser links)
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". Listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide.
Rainbow are a British rock band formed in Hertford in 1975 by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Established in the aftermath of Blackmore's first departure from Deep Purple, they originally featured four members of the American rock band Elf, including their singer Ronnie James Dio, but after their self-titled debut album, Blackmore fired these members, except Dio, recruiting drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and keyboardist Tony Carey. This line-up recorded the band's second album Rising (1976), while Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) saw Bob Daisley and David Stone replace Bain and Carey, respectively. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll was also the last album with Dio before he left the band to join Black Sabbath in 1979.
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is the debut studio album by American/British rock band Rainbow, released in 1975.
Down to Earth is the fourth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow. It is their last album to feature drummer Cozy Powell, their first with bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist Don Airey and their only album with vocalist Graham Bonnet. Released in 1979, it contains Rainbow's first hit single "Since You Been Gone", marking a more commercial direction of the band's sound.
Elf was an American rock band founded in 1967 by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein. The band was originally called the Electric Elves, but was shortened to the Elves in 1968 and finally Elf in 1972. Elf disbanded in 1975 after recording three albums and after most of the lineup had been absorbed into the newly formed Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.
John Gary Driscoll was an American R&B-style rock drummer who performed in a number of successful bands from the 1960s until his unsolved murder.
Douglas "Doogie" White is a Scottish rock vocalist who currently sings for La Paz. He has also notably sung for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Praying Mantis, Tank and Alcatrazz.
Joe Lynn Turner is an American singer known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple.
Stranger in Us All is the eighth studio album by the British hard rock band Rainbow, released on 21 August 1995 by RCA Records. This was the band's first studio album in twelve years, and originally intended to be a solo album by Blackmore, but due to pressures from BMG, it was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, which saw him putting together a new line-up featuring himself and four then-unknown musicians: vocalist Doogie White, bassist Greg Smith, keyboardist Paul Morris and drummer John O'Reilly.
Richard Hugh Blackmore is an English guitarist. He was a founding member and the lead guitarist of Deep Purple, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guitar riffs and has been known for playing both classically influenced and blues-based solos.
"Black Night" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple, released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Anniversary version of their 1970 studio album, Deep Purple in Rock. It became a hit in August 1970 following the succes of that album, peaking at No. 1 on UK New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts, while reaching No. 2 on the Official UK Singles charts, and remains Deep Purple's highest charting UK single. It also topped the charts in Switzerland, and is one of only two singles from the band to chart in Ireland, peaking at No. 4, thus making it the group's only Irish Top 10 hit.
"Space Truckin'" is a song by English hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the seventh and final track on the Machine Head album and its lyrics talk of space travel.
MK III: The Final Concerts, alternatively entitled Archive Alive, is a live album by Deep Purple, recorded during the band's 1975 European tour in support of the Stormbringer album. It was released in 1996.
Live in Paris 1975 is a live album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, recorded in 1975 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. It was meant to be released before the 1975 Come Taste the Band album, but was not released until 2001 by Purple Records.
Craig M. Gruber was an American rock bassist, best known as the original bassist in Rainbow. He also played in Elf, consisting of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarist David Feinstein.
"Mistreated" is a song by the English rock band Deep Purple taken from their 1974 album Burn. The song was written by the band's guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and new vocalist David Coverdale, who, along with new bassist Glenn Hughes, brought new blues and funk elements to the band.
Ronald Romero is a Chilean singer best known as the vocalist of the rock/heavy metal bands Elegant Weapons, Lords of Black, Rainbow, the Ferrymen, Michael Schenker Group, and Sunstorm. He represented Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 as the lead singer of Intelligent Music Project.
Bob Curiano is an American musician, songwriter and producer, who performs primarily on guitar, bass and vocals. Since 2015 he performs with Rainbow using the name Bob Nouveau. During 2000 to 2006 he performed and recorded with Blackmore's Night with the stage name Sir Robert of Normandie.
