Today we’d like to introduce you to David Gideon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up on a famous hippie commune called “The Farm”., an hour south of Nashville. The Farm is in Summertown, Tn, The commune was founded in 1971 by over 1000 San Francisco “fallouts” including my parents who followed Stephen Gaskin on a speaking tour in buses. They eventually settled on a piece of land that was sold to them for $1 an acre by a local moonshiner named Homer who sold them about four square miles of property. It wasn’t a popular move with his neighbors. Although my parents met on this land, I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Our Louisiana adventure didn’t last very long and we ended up moving when I was just three years old.
My father returned to the commune while my mother, who was fond of hamburgers and chocolate and not having to eat wheat berries while pregnant in a bus down by the creek, deep in the woods, moved to Austin, Texas to be an artist. She would sell her hand painted batik shirts down on “The Drag” off of Guadalupe, down by the college. I traveled back and forth every six months, as a kid from the hippie commune to Austin. During that time, my mother dated and lived with J.C. the house bassist for the legendary music venue owner and Country artist, J.C. still plays around Austin. Threadgill, whose South Austin venue closed down in recent times but was very well known. My mom would bring me to Threadgill’s every Wednesday night to see the band play.
Texas exposed me to the bar scene. Later, my mom moved to Key West and I was able to join the Jazz Chorus group in the Key West High School. Later, I played with a band that consisted of all kids who had grown up on the commune. When the band broke up, I ended up spending almost ten years living in the mountains of Northern California where I was a local DJ, performer and producer with my first real production being a remix of local Nor Cal Reggae legend, That song landed me on the stage of Reggae On The River for three years in a row in Piercy, California.
It was around this time that I was invited to Los Angeles by a good friend and writer, Eric Volz, known for his book “Gringo Nightmare”. As luck would have it, the very first day that I was in LA, I was invited to meet Bob Dylan. The lady who invited me to the “jam” as it were, was an old friend of his that I ended up at lunch with. The first time that I arrived at the private residence of Bob’s friend to meet him, he called and regretfully couldn’t make it but that night I made some incredible contacts and without much trouble, I got a job as an assistant for the well known, Hollywood engineer, Andy Zane.
I spent three years in West Hollywood and Bob Dylan, after several missed attempts, caught up with me at my apartment off of Sunset Blvd. That time in Los Angeles is what really broadened my horizons but ultimately, after three years living in West Hollywood, the glitz wore off and I ended up taking some time off to be with family in New Mexico, It was in New Mexico that I began to take the guitar more seriously. I started writing and some of my best work to date, came from that time.
I journeyed to Nashville to take part in a family reunion on The Farm one year and began to visit the place that I grew up, more often. During those visits, I’d stop into Nashville and got to see Chris Scruggs play at Robert’s, really by chance. Over time and because of my background in music, I was able to land a writing session for an artist who was using David Roe Rorick on bass, for the project. Dave famously played for Jerry Reed, Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakum and many others. Me and Dave became very close friends and I used him to record all of my Nashville material until his passing in 2023. Dave brought players like Kenny Vaughan, Pete Abbott, Chris Scruggs and Steve Hinson in on the project and I was able to release an album in 2022 with twelve songs recorded with Dave at his home studio. The record did pretty well as it was promoted to press and radio.
In recent years, I lived in Nashville for just under three years, working for Chevrolet as a driver of there newest models at the CMAS, I have been an AV tech at major events such as the CMAS, NASCAR and Grand Old Opry shows. I have been a waiter, a bartender, a cook and I have produced not just my own music but others such as Kelsey Rae Copeland’s “Tennessee Weeper” and I have performed at many Nashville venues such as Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadour Theater, Nashville Palace and Tootsie’s.
In the last year and a half, I have been spending time with my family in New Mexico, with most of my time spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have been writing, producing my music and also working on side projects with major industry players in the Jamaican music market with my independent music label, Gideon Music House, successfully having released songs with Sly and Robbie, Lukie D, Wayne Wonder, Tony Curtis, Little John, Brigadier Jerry and many others. I mix these projects myself which keeps me busy when I am not releasing my own music.
My latest recording on my independent music label: Gideon Music House label is a remake of the classic Kitty Wells song written by Gary Walker which features the very same bass guitar that was played on the original recording by Kitty Wells. The bass has appeared on Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline records and is in fact the same upright bass that was played on Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil”. The original owner was Nashville A Team player; Joseph Zinkman. This time around the bass was played by Kent “Superman” Blanton who played for Connie Smith and others. The violin on the song is played by Billy Contreras. His current gig is with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and he has done incredible work like recording Yellowstone Television soundtracks and he has even appeared with George Jones. Matty Meyer, who plays drums with Sierra Ferrell, appears on the track, having played Jimmy Kimmel days before we recorded his part in Madison, TN at Sidekick Sound Studio. The steel guitar was played by Andy Gibson of Hank III and Cowpokes fame and my vocals were recorded here in Santa Fe, NM where it was mixed and mastered. The song was released on June 7th, 2026.
I am currently laying groundwork to begin playing more often locally but most of my time has been spent in the studio, as of late. I have really been enjoying traveling down to the historic Old Town Albuquerque Plaza to play at Tiny Grocer which is an organic market, coffee house and restaurant, right off the plaza! Because I don’t drink alcohol and I am now six years, alcohol free, I don’t mind skipping the brewery gigs which is mostly what you get around here. I aim to shoot a little higher while refining my material for a next full length album. It’s a process. I love New Mexico but I miss Nashville with all my heart and soul. It’s just a hard town to be in. I won’t lie. I miss every day, though.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The greatest struggle was alcohol. I am now six years alcohol free and that was by far my greatest obstacle. Other than that, I would say that money is always the challenge. When you”re up, they gather around you. When you’re down, they look the other way. I have been through enough ups and downs to know that real friends see you through it all and family is the most important thing in our lives. Keep them close. I think it’s all about social media presence these days and while I am good at coaching others in the art of online presentation, I truly suck at it myself. It’s a challenge not to crash out!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Let’s take a look at what AI says about me: David Gideon is an American country and Americana singer-songwriter. He is recognized for his traditional, honky-tonk sound. He collaborates with legendary Nashville studio musicians. His musical style blends western roots with classic country storytelling. Musical Background/Early Training: Originally studied jazz and world beat percussion.Transition: Later expanded into guitar and songwriting.Upbringing: Raised on the move between Austin, Key West, and a Tennessee hippie commune.Inspirations: Influenced by classic songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Hank Williams Sr., and Johnny Cash.Notable Work & CollaborationsKey Releases: Best known for his full-length album Lonesome Desert Strum (2022) and the Drifter EP.A-List Band: Records with famous backing players, including bassist David Roe (who played with Johnny Cash) and guitarist Kenny Vaughan.Music Videos: His music video for the single “Red Boots” was directed by Dean Miller, the son of country music legend Roger Miller.
My music label: Gideon Music House is an independent record label founded by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist David Gideon. Based out of the American Southwest, the label serves as the primary home for Gideon’s old-school country, folk, and Americana releases. It also serves as a Jamaican music label for major Jamaican artists such as Sly and Robbie, Lukie D, Brigadier Jerry, Little John, Singing Sweet, Wayne Wonder, Galaxy P and others.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice for networking is to always have a budget. Nobody wants to work for free. That has certainly worked well for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gideonmusichouse.com
- Instagram: Instagram: @davidgideonmusic
- Facebook: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidgideon
- Twitter: Twitter @DavidGideonis
