Biography
"Upon being approached by a club regular before a show asking, “what kind of stuff do you do?” Daniel Lee kindly but unflinchingly answers, “aw, well, you should stick around and judge for yourself, and then let me know.” An avoidance tactic or time-saver? Not really. The thing is, Daniel Lee is indeed from the singer-songwriter lot, and doesn’t shy away from integrating healthy influences abound, from Joni to Stevie Wonder to Sting. But unlike most guitar-slinging persons traveling around the country trying to move audiences by crooning beautifully and penning melodies that stick, Daniel’s sound is refreshingly unique.
As one of the judges from the prestigious Eddie’s Attic $1000 Shootout (which Daniel won, joining a roster of names like John Mayer and Dayna Kurtz) puts it, “There are basically four main qualities that a musical entertainer can and should strive to possess. These are singing ability, proficiency on their instrument, writing ability, and the charismatic capacity to entertain. Many people get by with being good at a couple of these. But when you are, for instance like the Beatles were, great at all four, there is no stopping you. That is what I come away thinking about Daniel Lee.”
Abilities indeed. Many people come to see Daniel play because of the captivating way that he plays the guitar. Powerful, percussive, sophisticated but played in a way that people can cling to, Daniel is a veteran of the instrument. He began taking formal classical lessons when he was 7, and has since never left behind the task of drawing from all the different musical traditions of it in order to fully understand it and use it as an extension of himself. Pair this with his 5-octave vocal range that accessorizes his melody lines with lilting rich delicacies and breathtakingly powerful highs, and you end up with a silent room of music fans. “I can’t even really tell you, there’s just something about his music that made me not want to turn my head the whole time,” said a zealous interviewee after an intense performance being videotaped.
Daniel is no stranger to honor and recognition as well. Besides the aforementioned Atlanta contest, Daniel was recently named "Songwriter of the Year" at the WAMA (Washington Area Music Association) Awards, a huge prestige. Also, Daniel’s song “Starboard” won gold in the Rock/Alternative category of the Songwriter’s Association of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic song contest in the company of over 900 song applicants. He also was chosen as a winner of the National Round of the NewSong Contest presented by Performing Songwriter Magazine. He has won the Atlanta CJ’s Landing Top-of-the-tree songwriter’s contest twice, and also won the Zeigler Music Guitar Wars for his guitar virtuosity. Daniel recently was chosen as an 'Artist in Residence' at the famed Strathmore Mansion and Music Hall, where he received extensive press and was able to release his 'Genrecide' album.
Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, richly soaked in the New Orleans jazz, blues, and Creole musical traditions, Daniel moved to the hub of Atlanta to satiate his need for travel and exposure. After more than 4 years of professionally touring all over the country and a catalogue of 5 self-produced albums with overwhelmingly winning reviews and feverish word-of-mouth, Daniel also produced a live DVD with footage shot from many venues with a rotating cast of supporting musicians showcasing the wide range of his shows. Daniel is now living in the Northeast where he continues to mold the extremities of human emotion into song. Daniel's live collection entitled 'A Letting Go' is also downloadable straight from the website. Daniel is also well into the process of recording his next studio effort.