Song of David

Singer-songwriter overcomes addiction, jail, homelessness and psych wards to start a family and pen some of the best songs you've never heard

A A A Comments By Brian Smith Thursday, Feb 8 2001

...continued from page 3

Grossman sits down and carefully starts to strum. He runs through some cover songs, Louis Armstrong, Neil Young, parroting the vocal styles with aplomb. He makes no apologies for the covers, which at worst find him doing "Margaritaville" for the trillionth time. He says he doesn't see it as a compromise or a sellout.

"I've done roofing," he tells me later. "That's real work." Covers songs or no, he has defined success in every sense of the word.

Paolo Vescia

David Grossman

More About

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

He introduces a song of his called "Your World," saying: "This one goes really good with basketball." His bell-like vocal slides over the comely jangle, a voice thick with childhood influences of Cat Stevens and Paul Simon. "I'm not drunk," he sings, "I was just born like this."

The day Grossman turned 18 he signed a song publishing deal with a Nashville-based publishing company. The publisher's chief, Scott Turner, worked with Buddy Holly and discovered Charlie Daniels. He told Grossman that his talent would set the world on fire. Years later, Grossman had to sue to get out of the deal.

"I got polluted by everybody telling me I was gonna be famous," Grossman says with a shrug. "People that wanted me to be big because they want me to become big. I'm grateful to be able to do what I do. Just so damn grateful."

Check out this week's featured ad for News