Dawud Wharnsby facts for kids

Dawud Wharnsby, born David Howard Wharnsby on June 27, 1972, is a talented Canadian artist. He is a singer, songwriter, poet, and even a television personality. Dawud plays many instruments. He is famous for his English songs and poems, especially those called nasheed (spiritual songs) and spoken word (poems performed aloud). He is a Universalist Muslim.

Early Artistic Journey

Dawud Wharnsby was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1972. When he was a teenager, he started acting in local plays. At 18, he performed on a big theater stage in "Jesus Christ Superstar". He also had roles in plays like "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" and "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead".

When he was 19, Dawud began performing music. He played by himself and with different music groups. His first professional music job was with a folk group called Crakenthorpe's Teapot. They played music on street corners in their hometown. In 1993 and 1994, Dawud traveled a lot. He sang on street corners and in parks in Ontario, England, and Scotland. This helped him share his music. In 1993, he started his own recording company. It was first called Three Keyed Maple Seeds, then changed to Enter into Peace in 1996.

In the early 1990s, Dawud also worked as an actor and puppeteer. He toured schools and folk festivals across Ontario with two educational theater groups. When he was 20, he played the main character in a short educational film. The film was called "To Catch A Thief". It was shown in schools across Canada to teach about preventing shoplifting.

Music Career

In 1993, Dawud Wharnsby and Heather Chappell, another singer from Crakenthorpe's Teapot, started performing as a duo. They released an album called Off To Reap The Corn. This album featured traditional Canadian and Irish folk music. It also included Dawud's funny version of the old song "The Black Velvet Band". People still sing his comical version today.

Since 1995, Dawud has released many albums that are known around the world. These include Blue Walls and the Big Sky and Out Seeing The Fields. In the mid-1990s, Dawud started making English nasheed music. These are spiritual songs with a folk or world-beat style, inspired by Qur'anic traditions. He has released over 10 popular nasheed albums since 1993. Some of these are A Whisper of Peace, Colours of Islam, and Road to Madinah. These were released through a US media company called Sound Vision.Com.

On September 3, 2007, Dawud released "Out Seeing the Fields". This album has 12 songs and was made with pianist Idris Phillips. One song, "Rachel," is a tribute to Rachel Corrie. She was a young woman who died during a protest in Gaza.

Dawud has worked with many other artists during his career. These include Stephen Fearing, Yusuf Islam (also known as Cat Stevens), Zain Bhikha, and Billy Jonas.

Dawud was also a founder of "Abraham Jam." This acoustic trio formed in 2010. The band, which also includes David LaMotte and Billy Jonas, sings about diversity, being inclusive, and getting along. Their album "Abraham Jam Live" came out in 2018. A studio album, "White Moon," was released in 2019. A documentary about them, "Braided Prayer: Abraham Jam and The Making of White Moon," was released in 2020. It was shown at film festivals around the world. In 2024, Abraham Jam's song "Braided Prayer" was part of the Broadway show "Our Town." This song combines Muslim, Christian, and Jewish prayers.

Television and Radio Work

Dawud Wharnsby has also been a television personality. He has hosted shows for Canada's Vision TV and the National Film Board of Canada. He has also worked with Al Huda TV in Saudi Arabia, Deen TV, Muslim Network Television, and BBC Scotland.

Educational Efforts

Dawud Wharnsby supports the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. He helps their scholarship fund. He was inspired by the work of author and screenwriter Rod Serling when he was a child.

From June 2010 to 2015, Dawud Wharnsby was an Ambassador of Scouting for the UK Scout Association.

Personal Life

In 1993, David Howard Wharnsby became a Muslim. He changed his first name to "Dawud," which is the Arabic form of "David." He also added "Ali" to his last name. He stopped using "Ali" professionally in 2003, but it is still part of his legal name. Dawud has identified as a Muslim since 1993. He also follows the ideas of Unitarian Universalism.

Dawud Wharnsby married in 2003. He, his wife, and their two children have lived in different places. They have lived in Colorado, United States, Abbottabad, Pakistan, and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Since July 2022, Wharnsby and his family have lived in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dawud Wharnsby is not the same person as film editor David Wharnsby. Even though they are related and both from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, they are different people.

In the Media

In November 2008, an article in The Sun newspaper mentioned Dawud Wharnsby. The article suggested he influenced pop star Michael Jackson to become a Muslim. It said that Wharnsby and musician Idris Phillips were "pals" with Michael Jackson. The article claimed they talked to him about their beliefs. This story was then shared by many news outlets around the world.

After Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, the old Sun article reappeared. This made the rumors about Jackson's religious beliefs stronger. On June 26, 2009, Dawud Wharnsby made a public statement on his website. He said:

"For the record: Though our professional circles did cross-over slightly... I never had the honour or pleasure of meeting Michael Jackson personally, nor did we ever correspond on matters of our professions, personal lives or faiths."

Dawud also spoke about the idea of "converting" people. He stated:

"My approach to faith does not include concepts of "conversion/reversion" or "propagation", so the very idea that I would have even tried to "convert" Mr. Jackson (or anyone else for that matter) to my spiritual perspective, is silly."

In November 2009, Dawud Wharnsby's name was included in a list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims. This list was put together by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan. It was published with help from Georgetown University. Dawud has been on this list every year since then.

Discography

Solo Work

CD Singles and EP Releases

Selected Collaborations

Narrative Work

Music Videos

Published Books

• Nasheed Artist (Books 4 Schools, UK, 2005, ISBN: 0-9543652-6-7) (author/co-illustrator)
• For Whom The Troubadour Sings (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2009, ISBN: 978-1-84774-011-3) (author)
• A Picnic of Poems in Allah's Green Garden (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2011, ISBN: 978-0-86037-444-2) (author)
• Colours of Islam (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-86037-591-3) (author)
• A Whisper of Peace (Kube Publishing Ltd, UK, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-86037-534-0) (author)

Television and Video Appearances

• Muslim Network Television (2022–Present) (Script Editor, Audio Producer, Segment Host)
• Come In On The Bridge (Deen TV, 2013/2014) (Host)
• As Salamu Alaikum! (Sound Vision, 2005) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer)
• A New Life in a New Land (Milo Productions/University of Saskatoon/NFB, 2004) (Soundtrack and host)
• BBC Schools – Watch Celebrations: Ramadan And Eid (BBC Scotland, 2003) (Host)
• Sing, Children of The World (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host)
• Stories Behind The Songs (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host)
• Rhythm of Islam (Sound Vision, 2002) (Host)
• Alif Is For Allah (Sound Vision, 2000) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer)
• The Humble Muslim (Sound Vision, 1999) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer)
• Ramadan Mubarak (Sound Vision, 1998) (Soundtrack and actor/puppeteer)
• To Catch A Thief (John Howard Society of Canada, 1990) (Actor)