David Vest
David Vest (born November 2, 1943) is a rock and roll piano player, poet, columnist, and activist from Ensley. He worked professionally as a pianist from the age of 15, inspired by having seen Carl Perkins perform in Huntsville on a bill with Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. He learned to a play on a used piano his grandmother had delivered to their house six blocks from Tuxedo Junction.
In the 1960's Vest played seven nights a week at Pappy's Club with The Esquires, the big band that backed up soul singer Jerry Woodard. After quitting the band he became a regular on Tom York's Morning Show on WBRC and enrolled at Birmingham-Southern College to learn to be a writer. He performed with Tammy Wynette and Fannie Flagg on television and at the Little Theatre.
He moved on to Vanderbilt University where he earned his Ph.D, and spent a summer writing in Paris before accepting a post-graduate teaching position at Longwood College in Virginia.
He spent twenty years in Texas, touring with Floyd Dixon and Jimmy "T99" Nelson for much of that time.
Vest currently resides in Portland, Oregon, fronting the Willing Victims. He also performs frequently with the Paul deLay Band. He was also a member of the Cannonballs and has released several solo albums.
He is publishing his memoir, Rebel Angel in installments on the online journal CounterPunch.
External links
- Rebelangel.com - Vest's official website
Discography
- David Vest. Serve Me Right to Shuffle. (Trillium Records)
- David Vest. Way Down Here. (Live, Trillium Records, 2003)