David M. Ford has been singing most of his life. As a young child, he entertained his mom with imitations of Elvis. Music was always encouraged around the Ford household. His mother played the piano, and his siblings played instruments including the piano, flute, banjo and guitar. His father, who played the clarinet, had a wonderful collection of music from the Forties. Some of those songs are the very songs David performs today.

David's early years were spent singing in the school chorus and as a teenager, was brought into his aunt's church choir. He attended college at Memphis State, and became friends with some of the older local blues musicians who played and lived in downtown Memphis. Spending time with them, David learned a great deal about music and most especially the blues. Most of those people have passed on and recordings of them are hard to find. But you can check out Big Memphis Ma Rainey on Sun Records - the Blues Years 1950-1958.

David was married in 1978, and though the blues remained etched in his heart, he became more interested in jazz and standards. He and his wife occasionally worked together doing community gigs around Memphis, and since his wife's career required traveling, David became her principle rehearsal guitarist, learning again from working musicians on the road and at home. They divorced in 1982, and David returned to the underground music scene in Memphis. Two years later, he moved to North Hollywood, California and began working as a bartender.

David married again in 1987 and moved to Santa Clarita, California. While bartending at The City Club, he began to sing with some of the entertainers working there. Eventually, with the help of fellow musicians Susan Rey, Mark Bacon and Marcelo Berestovoy, he set up a Sunday evening jazz night there. David and his wife Laura bought the restaurant in 1996 and brought in a variety of local blues, rock and jazz bands on the weekends. Two years later he returned to bartending and occasionally performing around the valley.

In 2003, David reunited with Mark and Marcelo and began another Sunday evening jazz night, this time at Salt Creek Grille in Valencia. He continues to perform there every Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. His sheer joy of performing is infectious and keeps people returning for more.

You can contact David at
661-313-4304

or email him at david@dmford.com