Singer. Songwriter. Survivor.
David Bailey, 10 years out of college, was told he had a malignant brain tumor and would be dead in a few months.
So he left his corporate job and returned to his first love of songwriting and performing.
Ten years, 12 albums and 41 states later, Bailey and his music are
alive and well, challenging his audiences to live passionately and to
treasure the beauty of each new day.
Bailey, a singer/songwriter dubbed "a prophet with a guitar," performs
at 8 p.m. Sept. 15 in Presbyterian Hall in the Remick Heritage Center.
Admission is free and open to the public. No ticket is required. His
performance is sponsored by Discovering Vocation, the Chaplain's Office
and Service Learning.
"David Bailey comes with rave reviews for the concerts that he has
given for young adults, but his music reaches everyone," says Carol
Gregg, campus chaplain. "His encouraging lyrics always speak of hope,
though they do not shy away from the challenges of life. As a cancer
survivor, he genuinely sings 'hope is waiting around the bend like a
long lost friend.' People of all ages will find his folk music
inspirational."
While his songs are reminiscent of folk legends like Jim Croce and Cat
Stevens, he also points to the work of Kahlil Gibran and J.S. Bach as
being influential in his writing. His music features strong melodies
and intricate finger picking that serve to deliver keen, witty and
insightful lyrics about time, Christian faith, hope, love and dreams.
"David Bailey's music tells stories, addresses injustice, acknowledges
suffering and always points to faith, hope and love," says Gregg. "He
draws deeply from the Biblical story and the beauty of nature to draw
his audience to a greater appreciation of the wonders of life.
"As a son of a well-known Presbyterian missionary, David and his story
are known in Presbyterian circles, but I am sure that people of all
faiths and of uncertain faith will enjoy his concert," she says.
Bailey spent his childhood in Beirut, Lebanon. He started playing
guitar in seventh grade, went on to study classical guitar then started
writing his own songs. The Lebanese civil war forced him to complete
his secondary education in Germany where he spent weekends as a street
musician and also formed a small ensemble that toured throughout
Central Europe.
In college, Bailey played extensively in an original acoustic duo, but
then he put his guitar away and entered corporate America.
His story has been featured on CBS News/48 Hours, 60 Minutes,
Fox/Health, Family Health channel, and National Public Radio. Articles
about him have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country.
Posted: Thu, August 31st, 2006 at 12:48AM
