David Bryan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Bryan
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Bryan at the 2009 premiere of When We Were Beautiful
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Bryan Rashbaum |
| Born | February 7, 1962 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
David Bryan Rashbaum (born February 7, 1962) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the keyboard player for the famous rock band Bon Jovi. David also helped write songs and sang backing vocals for the band.
In 2018, he was honored by being added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi. Besides his work with the band, David Bryan is also known for creating the music for the musical Memphis. He co-wrote the lyrics for Memphis with Joe DiPietro. For this musical, he won a Tony Award for Best Original Score.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
David Bryan Rashbaum was born on February 7, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He grew up in Edison, New Jersey. His father, Eddie Rashbaum, was also a musician who played the trumpet.
David started learning piano when he was seven years old. He played many instruments in elementary school, including the violin, viola, trumpet, and clarinet. He played keyboards for a band called Transition. David studied music with Emery Hack, a professor at Juilliard, for thirteen years. He briefly attended Rutgers University before leaving to study at Juilliard, a famous music school.
Career Highlights
Joining Bon Jovi
David Bryan was the first person Jon Bon Jovi called when he got a record deal. David agreed to join the band, which later became Bon Jovi. He chose his stage name, David Bryan, because his full name was often hard to spell out.
At that time, David was studying to become a doctor at Rutgers University. He had excellent grades. David has played keyboards and sung on all of Bon Jovi's albums. He also worked on some solo albums for Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. David helped write several songs for Bon Jovi. These include "Love Lies" and "Breakout" from their first album, Bon Jovi. He also co-wrote "Only Lonely" and "The Hardest Part Is the Night" from 7800° Fahrenheit. The hit song "In These Arms" from Keep the Faith was also co-written by him.
Musical Theater Work
David Bryan and Joe DiPietro worked together to write the music for the musical Memphis. They won a Tony Award for Best Original Score for this show. Memphis first appeared off-Broadway in 2002. It later moved to Broadway in 2009. The show was very successful, running until August 2012. It was nominated for 8 Tony Awards in 2010 and won 4, including Best Musical.
Bryan also co-wrote another musical with Joe DiPietro called The Toxic Avenger. This musical premiered off-Broadway in 2009. They also worked on a musical called Chasing the Song. This story is about American songwriters from the 1960s.
Their musical Diana, which is about Princess Diana, started previews on Broadway in March 2020. However, the opening was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The musical was filmed without an audience and released on Netflix in October 2021.
Personal Life
David Bryan was married to April McLean from 1990 to 2004. They have three children. In 2010, he married his second wife, Lexi Quaas.
Charity Work
David Bryan is very involved in charity work. He supports VH-1's Save the Music program, which helps bring music education to schools. He also works with Only Make Believe. This non-profit organization brings interactive theater to children who are sick or have disabilities in hospitals. David is an honorary board member for Only Make Believe. He also wrote their anthem, "Rockin' All Over the World."
Bon Jovi has also helped build homes for people affected by Hurricane Katrina. The music video for their song "Who Says You Can't Go Home" shows how these homes were built. The band also donated a million dollars to Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. This money helped create Bon Jovi Boulevard in Louisiana.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Netherworld soundtrack (1992)
- On a Full Moon (1995)
- Lunar Eclipse (2000)
With Bon Jovi
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Studio Albums
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Compilation Albums
Live Albums
Box Sets
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Other Contributions
- Stranger in This Town (1991) – helped write songs, played keyboards
- Netherworld Soundtrack (1992) – created the original music
- Time Was – Curtis Stigers (1995) – wrote "This Time"
- Destination Anywhere (1997) – played accordion, piano
- Undiscovered Soul (1998) – helped write songs
- The Toxic Avenger (2009) – musical soundtrack
- Memphis: A New Musical (2009) – musical soundtrack
- Memphis: The Musical (2015) – musical soundtrack
- My Everything Is You – Brotherhood (studio album)| Matt O'Ree Band – (2016) – helped write songs, performed
- My Everything Is You – Live at the Stone Pony! (live album)| Matt O'Ree Band – (2018) – helped write songs, performed
- Diana: The Musical (2019) – musical soundtrack
See also
In Spanish: David Bryan para niños
