David Raskin (June 15, 1943 – August 16, 2022), who performed as Kal David, was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, whose 50-year musical career in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, New York, and California extended through various phases, including a highly regarded stint with Columbia Records in the early 1970s.

Early years (1960s and 1970s)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Raskin began using the performing name "Kal David" in his late teens as the frontman of his neighborhood band, Kal David and the Exceptions, formed in 1962.Kal David at Paul Cotton's Musical Archive
Angelfire.com Its other members were

Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera ( ; born September 13, 1944) is an American retired musician best known for being a lead vocalist and the bassist of the rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985, before launching a successful solo career. His ...

(bass, vocals), Denny Ebert (drums, vocals), and Marty Grebb (saxophone, keyboards, guitar, vocals). Cetera later joined the Big Thing, which became

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, and Grebb joined

the Buckinghams The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from Chicago. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed ...

. Around this time Kal David and the Exceptions were regular performers at the Interlude Club on Pulaski in Chicago. Kal David left the group to sign a recording contract with King Records and, later, with

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

. In 1965, during his stint at Vee-Jay, he formed a new duo, The Rovin' Kind, with guitarist

Paul Cotton Norman Paul Cotton (February 26, 1943July 31, 2021) was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the band Poco and the writer of their international hit song " Heart of the Night". Before that, he was co-guitarist for th ...

, and the two transferred to Dunwich Records. Following a name change to Illinois Speed Press and a move to Los Angeles in 1968, the duo recorded two albums for Columbia, the self-titled ''Illinois Speed Press'' and ''Duet''. In the early 1970s, as Cotton joined the band

Poco Poco was an American country rock band originally formed in 1968 after the demise of Buffalo Springfield. Guitarists Richie Furay and Jim Messina, former members of Buffalo Springfield, were joined by multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, bassis ...

as its lead guitarist, David decided to leave the West Coast for the East and moved to

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...

, the small-town/rural New York area, in the vicinity of previous year's iconic

Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

. His new group, The Fabulous Rhinestones featuring ex-

Electric Flag The Electric Flag was an American soul rock band, led by guitarist Mike Bloomfield, keyboardist Barry Goldberg and drummer Buddy Miles, and featuring other musicians such as vocalist Nick Gravenites and bassist Harvey Brooks. Bloomfield f ...

bassist Harvey Brooks and ex-Buckinghams' keyboard player Marty Grebb, recorded three albums: ''Fabulous Rhinestones'', ''Freewheelin' '' (on Paramount Records) and ''Rhinestones'' (on 20th Century Records). Friends advised him to visit a club in Woodstock and it was there that he met his future wife, vocalist Lauri Bono, who subsequently accompanied him back to Los Angeles for the next phase of their career, doing sidework for Etta James and

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American musician. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit sing ...

Later phase (1980s through 2020s)

In the early 1980s, David played lead guitar for John Mayall on an album which would be released a decade later. Two albums for SoulCoast Records, ''Never a Dull Moment'' and ''Double Tuff'' each met with critical acclaim and worldwide record sales coupled with numerous television appearances, including a one-hour special featuring David in Germany. At Hollywood's

China Club The China Club is a retro-chic, Shanghai-style club and Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong. It is related to the China Clubs in Singapore and Beijing but not to the clubs of the same name in New York City and Berlin, Germany. The China Club ...

, the Kal David Band headed up the weekly Pro-Jam which drew celebrity performers such as Stevie Wonder,

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

, John Entwistle, Larry Carlton, Brian Wilson, Stephen Stills,

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr ...

and

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

, as well as blues musicians Sam Taylor and

Floyd Dixon Floyd Dixon (February 8, 1929 – July 26, 2006) was an American rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer. Life and career Dixon was born in Marshall, Texas. Some sources give his birth name as Jay Riggins, Jr., although Dixon himself stated that ...

. The early 1990s saw David and Bono move to Palm Springs, California, and form yet another band, Kal David and the Real Deal. This group featured both David and Bono on vocals, along with former Chaka Khan musical director Tony Patler on

Hammond B-3 The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...

organ and drummer

Alan Diaz Alan Diaz (May 15, 1947 – July 3, 2018) was an American who won the 2001 for his photograph of the United States Border Patrol's BORTAC team's seizure of Elian Gonzalez. Diaz was born and raised in New York City and moved to Cuba with his f ...

, formerly with

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for ...

. David tried local radio, hosting the late night "Blue Monday" blues show on Palm Springs soft rock station KEZN. On July 14, 1998, the couple opened the Blue Guitar blues club above the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, which lasted six years, closing in 2004. David and Bono continued to tour and frequently played at

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

's Blues Club in Los Angeles and the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. David is the voice of 'Sonny Eclipse', a singing alien

audio-animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequent ...

, who resides at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe at the

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The ...

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

. He did another performance for Disney World at

Epcot Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...

, where he performed the "Unhealthy Living Blues" for the ''Goofy About Health'' exhibit at the

Wonders of Life The Wonders of Life pavilion was an attraction at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was devoted to health care, focusing on the human body, physical fitness, medicine and nutrition. Attractions included Body Wars and C ...

pavilion. Kal David died on August 16, 2022, at the age of 79.

Honors

In 2004, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Kal David and Lauri Bono.

Discography

* ''

Paragon Paragon may refer to: Places *Paragon, Indiana, a town in the United States * Paragon, Nebraska, former community in the United States *The Paragon, Bath, a Georgian street in the Walcot area of Bath * The Paragon, Blackheath, London, built by Mi ...

'' – Kal David and Lauri Bono (2018) Take That Task Records * '' Living the Dream'' – Kal David and Lauri Bono (2015) Crytone/CD Baby * '' Kal David Band LIVE!'' – Kal David (featuring Miss Lauri Bono) (2015) Ari Records * '' Crossroads of My Life'' – Kal David (2010) Crytone/CD Baby * '' Live... At Blue Guitar... Last Call'' – Lauri Bono (featuring Kal David) (2006) Blue Guitar * '' Live... At Blue Guitar... Last Call'' – Kal David (2006) Blue Guitar * '' Live At Blue Guitar... By Request'' – Kal David and The Real Deal (2001) Blue Guitar * '' Double Tuff''- Kal David (1993) Soul Coast * '' Never A Dull Moment'' – Kal David (1992) Soul Coast * '' Cross Country Blues'' – John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (with Kal David, Don McMinn,

Coco Montoya Coco Montoya (born Henry Montoya, October 2, 1951, Santa Monica, California) is an American blues guitarist and singer and former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Musical career Montoya's career began in the mid-1970s when Albert Col ...

) ecorded 1981 and 1984(1992) One Way * '' The Rhinestones'' – The Fabulous Rhinestones (Kal David, Harvey Brooks, Marty Grebb) (1975) Just Sunshine/20th Century * '' Freewheelin''' – The Fabulous Rhinestones (Kal David, Harvey Brooks, Marty Grebb) (1973) Just Sunshine/Paramount * '' The Fabulous Rhinestones'' – The Fabulous Rhinestones (Kal David, Harvey Brooks,

Marty Grebb Marty may refer to: Names * Marty (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters, also includes stage names * Marty (surname), a list of people Places in the United States * Marty, California, a former settlement * Marty, ...

) (1972) Just Sunshine/Paramount * ''

Vacuum Cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a ...

'' – Merryweather & Carey (

Neil Merryweather Neil Merryweather (born Robert Neilson Lillie, December 27, 1945 – March 28, 2021) was a Canadian rock singer, bass player and songwriter. He has recorded and performed with musicians including Steve Miller, Dave Mason, Lita Ford, Bill ...

and

Lynn Carey Lynn Catherine Carey (born October 29, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress best known as the lead vocalist in the band Mama Lion. She is also the daughter of actor Macdonald Carey. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Calif ...

) (1971) RCA * '' Duet'' – Illinois Speed Press (Kal David and Paul Cotton) (1970) Columbia * '' Illinois Speed Press'' – Illinois Speed Press (Kal David and Paul Cotton) (1969) Columbia * '' Chhalia (original soundtrack recording)'' (features Kal David and others) (7" 45rpm EP release) (19??) Angel

ndia Ndia or NDIA may refer to: * Ndia Constituency, Kirinyaga District, Central Province, Kenya *Alternative name for the Southern Kirinyaga dialect of the Kikuyu language *National Defense Industrial Association, an American trade association * Natio ...

Records * "Can't Sit Down" b/w "You Turn Me On" – Barney Pip with The Rovin' Kind (7" single release) (1967)

Smash Records Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...

* "She" b/w "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" – The Rovin' Kind (Kal David and Paul Cotton) (7" single release) (1967) Dunwich Records * "My Generation" b/w "Girl" – The Rovin' Kind (Kal David and Paul Cotton) (7" single release) (1966) Dunwich Records * "Right On Time" b/w "Night People" – The Rovin' Kind (Kal David and Paul Cotton) (7" single release) (1966)

Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...

* "Everybody" b/w "Bound To Roam" – The Rovin' Kind (Kal David and

) (7" single release) (1965) Contrapoint Records * "Come On Home" b/w "Dancin' Danny" – Kal David and The Exceptions (7" single release) (1965) Tollie Records ubsidiary of Vee-Jay* "Searchin'" b/w "Daydreaming Of You" – Kal David and The Exceptions (7" single release) (1964) Tollie Records ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay*_"Forgotten_Dreams"_b/w_"Little_Everyday_Things"_–_Kal_David_and_The_Exceptions_(7"_single_release)_(1962)_Ardore_Records

_Equipment

*_ ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay*_"Forgotten_Dreams"_b/w_"Little_Everyday_Things"_–_Kal_David_and_The_Exceptions_(7"_single_release)_(1962)_Ardore_Records

_Equipment

*_Gibson_Firebird">1964_Gibson_Firebird_V_ *_Gibson_Firebird.html" ;"title="Gibson_Firebird.html" ;"title="Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_ ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay*_"Forgotten_Dreams"_b/w_"Little_Everyday_Things"_–_Kal_David_and_The_Exceptions_(7"_single_release)_(1962)_Ardore_Records

_Equipment

*_Gibson_Firebird">1964_Gibson_Firebird_V_ *_Gibson_Firebird">1963_(?)_Gibson_Firebird_III_Custom *_[ ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay*_"Forgotten_Dreams"_b/w_"Little_Everyday_Things"_–_Kal_David_and_The_Exceptions_(7"_single_release)_(1962)_Ardore_Records

_Equipment

*_Gibson_Firebird">1964_Gibson_Firebird_V_ *_Gibson_Firebird">1963_(?)_Gibson_Firebird_III_Custom *_Fender_Amplifiers">1998_Fender_Vibroverb *_ ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html"_;"title="ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay">ubsidiary_of_Vee-Jay*_"Forgotten_Dreams"_b/w_"Little_Everyday_Things"_–_Kal_David_and_The_Exceptions_(7"_single_release)_(1962)_Ardore_Records

_Equipment

*_Gibson_Firebird">1964_Gibson_Firebird_V_ *_Gibson_Firebird">1963_(?)_Gibson_Firebird_III_Custom *_Fender_Amplifiers">1998_Fender_Vibroverb *_Mesa_Boogie">2000_Mesa_Maverick_Combo *_Echoplex.html" ;"title="Mesa_Boogie.html" ;"title="ender_Amplifiers.html" ;"title="Vee-Jay.html" ;"title="Vee-Jay.html" ;"title="ubsidiary of Vee-Jay">ubsidiary of Vee-Jay">Vee-Jay.html" ;"title="ubsidiary of Vee-Jay">ubsidiary of Vee-Jay* "Forgotten Dreams" b/w "Little Everyday Things" – Kal David and The Exceptions (7" single release) (1962) Ardore Records

Equipment

* Gibson Firebird">1964 Gibson Firebird V * Gibson Firebird">1963 (?) Gibson Firebird III Custom * Fender Amplifiers">1998 Fender Vibroverb * Mesa Boogie">2000 Mesa Maverick Combo * Echoplex">1955 Vintage Gibson Echoplex

References

External links

Kal David official website, tour schedule and discographyWDW Radio InterviewKal David Interview – NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:David, Kal 1943 births 2022 deaths American blues guitarists American male guitarists American male singers Singers from Chicago Songwriters from Illinois John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers members People from Woodstock, New York Guitarists from Chicago 20th-century American guitarists