David started his musical journey at a young age. A native of Asheville, North Carolina (4th generation) he was exposed to the rich musical heritage of the mountains by way of his grandfather Ollan Payne. Ollan was a gifted musician and played the fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and piano, all by ear. David would sit on Ollan’s front porch and listen to his grandfather play “mountain tunes” for hours. He picked up a guitar at the age of 12 and began to play. He enjoyed music throughout his adolescence and played with his buddies in college but life moved on and the guitar began to gather dust. His love for music was rekindled several years ago when he picked up an old guitar. He played one song for the love of his life and she would not let him put it down. Since that time he has grown as a musician and singer. His musical philosophy is simple, play and sing songs that encourage people and uplift the spirit.