Academy Member: Dave Signs
I have been performing, writing, and making records most of my life. My amazing career landed me in Nashville when I was barely 17. Fortunate to be involved in the recording industry for over 4 decades, the list of Artists and friends I have recorded and/or toured with is long and sometimes seems unbelievable to me. It includes Johnny Paycheck, Lee Greenwood, Crystal Gayle, Razzy Bailey, George Jones, Johnny Russell, Glen Campbell, Porter Wagoner, Emmy Lou, and many others. I began playing the Grand Ole Opry in 1973 at the Ryman Auditorium and then at the new Opry House when it moved in 1974. I have played well over 2500 Opry spots in my career. My years at the Opry allowed me to meet and become friends with many of Nashville’s outstanding artists. I built my own first Nashville based recording studios in 1983 and together with my partner Beth Travers started MFG Records in the early 2000’s.
I am also a lifelong boater and sailor. I’ve spent many hours in the waters and on the beaches of the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Martha’s Vineyard and the Gulf of Mexico, beaching, sailing, singing, listening to, and playing classic Belafonte, Marley, Buffet, and traditional Island Music. In 2002 I got involved with my other lifelong love, Marinas. I began operating and redeveloping marinas on The Chesapeake Bay, Lake Erie, and in the man-made lakes of TN and GA, at the same time keeping and operating a recording studio in Nashville. These years had a big influence on my writing and love for Tropical/Island Influenced music. I was introduced to the Barefoot Man while on a country music package tour in the Cayman Islands. I fell in love with the earthy fun sound and have been a fan ever since. Put all of that together and here I am…….a kind of fusion of musician, businessman and pirate.