Dave Powelson is a songwriter, producer, guitarist and recording engineer with 30 years experience in the music business.
Dave was born in Wentzville, Mo. and comes from a musical family. Grandparents, parents, siblings and cousins all played musical instruments. Fiddles, accordions and guitars were always around at family gatherings.
At age 9 Dave began taking guitar lessons and playing the guitar. By age 11 Dave was playing in his first band, a trio featuring drums, organ and Dave on guitar. Through his teens he played with various bands and began writing songs. He continued his guitar education with jazz guitar teachers in the St. Louis area.
When Dave was 20 he moved to Nashville and began touring. He played guitar and sang background vocals for Crystal Gayle and Barbara Mandrell. Dave appeared on many television shows with Barbara Mandrell including a Bob Hope Special, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Also during this time Dave wrote a song that Barbara Mandrell recorded called “Not Tonight, I’ve Got A Heartache”. This was Dave’s first song to be recorded by a major recording artist. It was also during this time that Dave signed a publishing deal with Acuff-Rose, one of the biggest and most successful publishers in the music industry. This company represented songs by the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Mickey Newbury and Hank Williams.
While with Barbara, Dave met Linda Nail. Linda is a tremendous singer, performer and songwriter as you can see from her own biography here on the Tune Castle website. Dave and Linda soon married and began their life and family together. Dave decided to leave the road and began playing locally in Nashville and continued to write songs. In 1982, Dave and Linda’s first child, Christopher was born. Later, in 1989 their beautiful daughter Lauren arrived to make the family complete.
While being off the road Dave concentrated more and more on songwriting and wrote many songs with Eddy Raven, almost all of which Eddy recorded.
Linda continued her career as well, recording for Complete Records a division of Polygram. It was at one of those sessions that Linda recorded Dave’s song “Before I Started Loving You”.
In 1985 Dave got the opportunity to join the legendary Brenda Lee. Being with Brenda has afforded Dave the opportunity to work with one of the most successful, influential and respected singers of all time. Dave has been playing guitar for Brenda now almost 20 years. As such he’s traveled to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, England, Scotland Switzerland, Puerto Rico and Canada.
Brenda and Dave have also collaborated as a songwriting team and with other writers as well. They teamed up with Michael McDonald to write “The Kind Of Fool Love Makes” for Wynona Judd on her album “The Other Side”. That was a Gold record.
Kenny Rogers also recorded the song on his album “She Rides Wild Horses” which achieved Platinum status. Tanya Tucker, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash have also recorded Dave’s songs. Brenda recorded a song she and Dave co-wrote called “Teach Me To Pray” for a new Brenda Lee Gospel album. Dave also co-produced the album.
Dave and Linda own The Tune Castle recording studio and Tune Castle Productions. The studio is capable of handling rhythm sections and string and horn sections for overdubs. Dave and Linda have experience with all styles of music. In the Tune Castle they’ve recorded Rock & Roll, Country, Jazz, Blue Grass, Gospel, Classical and nearly everything in between. With their many years of combined experience Dave and Linda are able to bring to each project a perspective that is born of two very broad and extensive careers. Dave and Linda understand how important each recording session and each song is. They give their utmost to see that each client is completely satisfied.
Dave
Powelson Discography
1.
Kenny Rogers
The Kind Of Fool Love Makes
Included on the album: She Rides Wild Horses
: Love Songs released
in Europe
co-written with: Brenda Lee & Michael McDonald
2.
Wynona
The Kind Of Fool Love Makes
Included on the album: The Other Side
rereleased in May 2004
3.
Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings
The Folks Out On The Road
Included on the album: Heroes
co-written with Eddy Raven & Frank Myers
4.
Tanya Tucker
As Long As There's A Heartbeat
Included on the album: Tennessee Woman
5.
Eddy Raven
Easy Time
Folks Out On The Road
The Song I Said I'd Never Write For You
Too Much Candy For A Dime
6.
Barabara Mandrell
Not Tonight I've Got A Heartache
Included on the album Just For The Record
7.
Brenda Lee
Teach Me To Pray
unreleased