Halfway through a concert, singer-songwriter David Wilcox stopped his set and invited a stranger on stage to play a song for the packed house. Earlier that day, he had met the young woman in a campus stairwell where she had been practicing guitar. Now onstage, looking a bit overwhelmed, she took his guitar and he helped her adjust the shoulder strap. Wilcox said, "I'll sit right here," and proceeded to plop down on the stage, legs straight out, gazing up at her. Her hands shook as she tuned the guitar.
From her opening chord, Wilcox sat at her feet, grinning. The smile on his face made him look like an enthralled fan, not the headlining singer with fans of his own. When she finished (to uproarious applause), he thanked her for her courage and her willingness to share her music with the crowd. (Check out Michelle Bloom's debut release michelle [bloom] by visiting www.michellebloom.com.) Wilcox then continued the concert.
David Wilcox's concert style has always been collaborative. Fans are used to being introduced to little-known artists that Wilcox invites as his opening acts, and the artists are always vigorously praised by the headlining singer. Wilcox thrives on new rhythms, riffs, and chord progressions he hears coming from songwriters, the CD stacks at the local music store, or even stairwells on college campuses.
Born and raised near Cleveland, Wilcox refined his sharp guitar sound while attending Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. He made his recording debut in 1987 with the acclaimed The Nightshift Watchman. He's been compared to James Taylor in his comfortable folk guitar style and warm voice. Wilcox's sound is punctuated with jazz, blues, and rock and roll, all built on a strong classical foundation.
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