Ethan Daniel Davidson

Last updated
Ethan Davidson
Birth nameEthan Daniel Davidson
BornOctober 21, 1969 (1969-10-21) (age 53)
Lansing, Michigan
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, philanthropist
Years active1999–present
Labels
  • Blue Arrow Records
  • Speedsmen
  • Times Beach Records (formerly)
Website www.ethandanieldavidson.com

Ethan Daniel Davidson (born October 21, 1969) is an American musician and philanthropist known for producing folk music. Since the late 1990s, Davidson has released ten studio albums.

Contents

Early life and education

He is the son of billionaire William "Bill" Davidson, former owner of the Detroit Pistons and Guardian Industries, which was purchased by Koch Industries in 2017. He has one sister, Marla Karimipour, and three stepsisters, including actress Elizabeth Reaser. He was raised in Bloomfield, Michigan and attended Lahser High School. [1] While attending Lahser High School, he was involved in a school band, which he credited with sparking an early interest in music for him. [2]

Davidson graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He also studied at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. [1] After graduating, he traveled as a bass player in various East Coast bands, and later moved to Alaska. [3]

Music career

Early career

Davidson first began writing music in the 1990s while living in Wiseman, Alaska. [4] While living in Alaska, he toured the United States on his Six Year Tour during which he played over 900 shows. [5] [6] His first six albums were produced by Al Sutton on his former record label, Times Beach Records, and recorded in Royal Oak, Michigan. [7]

2012–present

Davidson's wife Gretchen Gonzales Davidson and Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive produced four of Davidson's records, including Silvertooth (2012) and Drawnigh (2015). Davidson and Gretchen founded the band Seedsmen of the World together. [7] Davidson's 2017 album Crows was produced by Blue Arrow Records of Cleveland, Ohio. [8]

Davidson and his wife co-produced the documentary Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story, which headlined the 2019 Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival. The 90-minute film follows the life of William Davidson and highlights his business philosophies. Davidson also produced the soundtrack for the documentary, which was directed by Deb Agolli and Push Media. [9]

On August 18, it was announced that Davidson was releasing another album, titled Come Down Lonesome, produced with his wife and Defever. [10] The album was released on August 21, 2020 and included both original songs and covers. [11]

Davidson's song "Till the Light Comes Shining In" was featured in Season One, Episode 7 of the Spectrum Original television show Joe Pickett .

Books

Style and influences

Davidson's style has been described as folk, folk rock, [6] and American folk, [12] with influences from artists such as Reverend Gary Davis, Bob Dylan, and Mississippi John Hurt. [13] Mike McGonigal of the Metro Times compared his ability to combine various musical genres to Calexico. [14] His early music often featured heavily political themes, while his later albums focus more on existential conflicts. [15]

Personal life

Davidson is married to Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, a musician best known for her participation in the band Slumber Party, which released three records on the label Kill Rock Stars. [1] Together, the couple have three children. [5]

Philanthropy

Davidson was named as the board chair for the Michigan Opera Theatre, succeeding Rick Williams, who stepped down in 2019. [16] Davidson also serves as a board member at Motown Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts. [17] [18]

Davidson is Treasurer and Chairman of the Grants Committee for The William Davidson Foundation, which was founded by his father. [19]

Discography

Studio albums
YearTitleLabel
2020Come Down LonesomeBlue Arrow Records
2017Crows
2015DrawnighSeedsmen
2012Silvertooth
2005Free The Ethan Daniel Davidson FiveTimes Beach Records
2004Don Quixote De Suburbia
Better Living Through Creative Selling
2001Bootleg Series Vol. 1
This Machine Kills Fascists
2000Ring Them Bells
1999Alaska 11 North

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019Call Me Bill: The William Davidson StoryExecutive producer, composerDocumentary
2017"My Crows"PerformerMusic video
2015"Count the Knives"PerformerMusic video
2014"Death Don't Have No Mercy"PerformerMusic video
"Stockton"PerformerMusic video
"Ain't the Man I Used to Be"PerformerMusic video
Til the Light Comes Shining InPerformerMusic video
2013"I See Satan Fall Like Lightning"PerformerMusic video
2012"The Dogs Howl, The Caravan Moves On"PerformerMusic video

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Schroder</span> American actor (born 1970)

Richard Bartlett Schroder is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film The Champ (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons. He has continued acting as an adult, usually billed as Rick Schroder, notably as "Newt" on the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) and in the crime-drama series NYPD Blue. He made his directorial debut with the film Black Cloud (2004) and has produced several films and television series including the anthology film Locker 13 and the war documentary The Fighting Season.

Warren Defever is a musician and producer, originally from Livonia, Michigan, and now based in Detroit. He is most known for his chameleonic project His Name Is Alive, though he is active in numerous other circles. He produced, engineered, and/or remixed recordings by Iggy and the Stooges, Easy Action, Low, Ida, Michael Hurley, Califone, Yoko Ono, Thurston Moore, the Gories, the Go, Nomo, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Ethan Daniel Davidson, Faruq Z. Bey, the Von Bondies, Reba Fritz, Destroy All Monsters, Jenny Toomey, Slumber Party, John Sinclair, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Lisa Loeb, as well as HNIA offshoot Velour 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Davidson (businessman)</span> American businessman

William Morse Davidson, was an American businessman. He was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass. He was also owner of several North American professional sports teams and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Richard E. DeVore, also written as Richard De Vore was an American ceramicist, professor. He was known for stoneware. He was faculty at Cranbrook Academy of Art’s Ceramics Department, from 1966 to 1978.

Anthony Dewitt Bell is a retired American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL. He played at Michigan State University and then was drafted in the first-round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals as the first linebacker selected in that year's draft under new Cardinals coach Gene Stallings.

Stanley Lechtzin is an American artist, jeweler, metalsmith and educator. He is noted for his work in electroforming and computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacture (CAM). He has taught at Temple University in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, from 1962.

<i>Kill</i> (Electric Six album) 2009 studio album by Electric Six

KILL is the sixth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six, which was released in October 2009.

Terry Pollard was an American jazz pianist and vibraphonist active in the Detroit jazz scene of the 1940s and 1950s. She has been described as a "major player who was inexplicably overlooked."

Floating Action is a band from Black Mountain, North Carolina, founded by Seth Kauffman. Kauffman is the band's sole lyricist, songwriter, recorder and producer, in addition to playing almost all the music. Kauffman has been called "the underappreciated genius of the Asheville music scene", and has been compared to Harry Nilsson. Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Kauffman's frequent collaborator, called him "the most underrated person in music". He has also been praised by the Black Keys, Zach Miller of Dr. Dog, and Jonah Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James M. Nederlander</span> American theater producer

James M. Nederlander was an American theatrical producer who served as chairman of the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of live theaters and music venues in the United States. He was a 10-time Tony Award winner and was nominated for 37 Tony Awards.

Taylor Elizabeth Louderman is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for originating the role of Regina George in the Broadway musical Mean Girls, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Park (actress)</span> American actress (born 1991)

Ashley Jini Park is an American actress, dancer, and singer based in New York City. She is best known for her portrayal of Mindy Chen on Netflix's Emily in Paris, which garnered her a Critics' Choice Award nomination, and for originating the role of Gretchen Wieners in the 2018 Tony Award-nominated musical Mean Girls, for which she received Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominations. Her theatre roles also include Tuptim in the 2015 Broadway revival of The King and I and MwE in Ars Nova's KPOP Off-Broadway.

Vincint Cannady, known by the mononym Vincint, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as a finalist on the first season of the singing competition The Four. He released his debut EP, The Feeling on February 14, 2020. Cannady later released his debut studio album, There Will Be Tears on June 11, 2021.

Tray Little is an American rapper, songwriter, producer and social media personality. He gained internet popularity by posting his music and sharing videos on the mobile-app TikTok, amassing over 1.1 million followers in 2020.

Casada Aaron Sorrell, known professionally as Sada Baby, is an American rapper and singer. He initially gained recognition in 2018 when the music video for his song "Bloxk Party" went viral, leading to him signing to Asylum Records. A prominent figure of the emerging Detroit rap scene of the mid-to-late 2010s, Sada Baby has become one of the most prolific rappers of the generation. His debut studio album Skuba Sada 2 (2020), a sequel to his 2017 debut mixtape Skuba Sada, peaked at number 125 on the US Billboard 200. In 2020, his song "Whole Lotta Choppas" went viral on TikTok, later receiving a remix featuring Nicki Minaj and peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Margaret Sellers Walker Morris, born Margaret Elizabeth Regular, was an American city and state official, based in Michigan. She was also a professor at Grand Valley State University. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eva Lois Evans</span> American educator (1935–2020)

Eva Lois Allmon Evans was an American educator based in Lansing, Michigan, and the 24th international president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joneigh Khaldun</span>

Joneigh Khaldun is the Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at CVS Health. Prior to serving in this position, she served as the Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan and Chief Deputy Director for Health in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. On February 10, 2021, she was announced as a member of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force under the Biden-Harris administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Brown (businessman)</span> American businessman (born 1971)

Ethan Walden Brown is an American executive, who is the founder, president and CEO of Beyond Meat. Before founding Beyond Meat, Brown worked on alternative energy and electricity grid restructuring at the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices before joining fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems.

Lillian Wolock Elliott (1930–1994) was an American fiber artist, and textile designer. She is known for her innovative basket craft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Headapohl, Jackie (2017-07-27). "Ramblin' Man Gets Grounded - Ethan Daniel Davidson talks about his new album". The Jewish News. Retrieved 2020-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ Anchill, Hillary Brody (2019-12-26). "Ethan Davidson". Downtown News Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Son of late Pistons owner Bill Davidson ready to fulfill giving legacy". mlive. Associated Press. 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2020-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Kurly, Mark; chik (2012-09-19). "Settling Back: Four Questions with Ethan Davidson". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 1 2 Graff, Gary (2017-06-08). "Ethan Daniel Davidson's music is his hobby -- but with a capital H". The Oakland Press. Retrieved 2020-08-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 Mccollum, Brian (2012-10-10). "Billionaire's son ready to fulfill giving legacy". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-09-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 1 2 Graff, Gary (2012-09-13). "Sound Check: Ethan Daniel Davidson settles down, gives "Silvertooth" for free". New Haven Register. Retrieved 2020-08-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ Gavrilovska, Ana (2017-06-07). "Questioning humanity in Ethan Daniel Davidson's 'Crows'". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2020-08-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ Chessler, Suzanne (2019-04-25). "'Call Me Bill' Kicks Off Detroit Jewish Film Festival - Detroit Jewish News". The Jewish News. Retrieved 2020-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ Chessler, Suzanne (2020-08-19). "Ethan Davidson's New Album Examines Solitude and Introspection - Detroit Jewish News". The Jewish News. Retrieved 2020-08-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (2020-08-20). "Ethan Daniel Davidson 'Come Down Lonesome' Is Somber Look Down the Dark Roads of Americana". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2020-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ "Album Review: Ethan Daniel Davidson's 'Come Down Lonesome'". www.ecurrent.com. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (2020-06-22). "Ethan Daniel Davidson Holds Himself Accountable on "Someday I'll Be Caught"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2020-08-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ McGonigal, Mike. "'Like a one person Calexico': Ethan Daniel Davidson plays the UFO Sat., May 16". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2020-08-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ Kurly, Mark (2012-09-07). "CD Review: Ethan Daniel Davidson's 'Silvertooth'". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved 2020-08-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ↑ Turner, Grace (2019-10-09). "Ethan Davidson Named Chairman of Michigan Opera Theatre". DBusiness Magazine. Retrieved 2020-08-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ Schostak, Rachel (2019-11-29). "Style Profile: Gretchen and Ethan Davidson". SEEN Magazine. Retrieved 2020-08-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ↑ Mondry, Aaron (2019-09-24). "Motown Museum breaks ground on $50 million expansion". Curbed Detroit. Retrieved 2020-08-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ↑ Riley, Rochelle (2017-06-16). "Motown Museum is $2M closer to reality after Davidson Foundation donation". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-08-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.