"Sing to the Song - Play to the Music" Dave McCann Dave was 15 when he began writing/producing, singing and playing his life experiences on the guitar in Arizona's valley-of-the-sun and by age 20, started carrying the title of 'professional musical performer', an interesting and challenging career; hanging and playing with Waylon at JD's and around as "another up and comer" of the day. Not an unusual story so far, but life decided to challenge Dave just a bit with another title . that of being handicapped. Slowly he was losing his eyesight and going blind. David began to loose his eyesight at age 17 and by age 21 the blindness, caused by a rare untreatable hereditary condition, the retinal degeneration and the blindness was total. He was playing country at that time, recording in Nashville and touring with 'southern rock' mixed with country, from Vegas to Alaska to broke in the Midwest by 1976 , only to being further challenged when insulin dependent diabetes developed. With the titles of 'professional musical performer', and "blind handicapped, insulin dependent" working so well for him - Dave decided to stay home awhile to enjoy the titles of husband and father, college student, builder and operator of a small recording studio and creator of Brother Noise: a musical satire character he developed/produced still contemporary today. Beginning with their first show-case in 1986, Dave traveled to Los Angeles to perform and support HAPPI (Handicapped Artists Performer and Partners, Inc.) receiving his own "little Otto" and felt extremely honored to receive HAPPI'S Lifetime Achievement Award in April of 2005. 1988 found Dave moving to central Oregon to a unique little rural community called Crooked River Ranch, with his wife and two sons. CRR is an hour away from Bend, which can be found on a map, but CRR is worth finding without one. Challenging life again, Dave, with the aid of his 'talking' computer developed two screenplays while keeping his heart with the music by performing thru out the "high-desert" area with versatile and talented people. Doesn't sound to bad.for this "professional musical performer", challenged because he's "blind" and insulin dependent. He writes and plays music when he wants, is educated, traveled, ran his own business, took up the world of screenplays and computers who is enjoying his family and lives in a special community, with his first CD about to be eleased, does it? Nope, not too bad as life is, until the year 2000, when Dave's kidney's failed and he crashed into dialysis, without which meant the end of Dave within a few months. Hell! He didn't write anything titled "End Stage Renal Failure Patient" .who'd want that! It wasn't an easy decision or commitment, when you've struggled with daily dependency issues for years and this was his 3rd one and with what kind of future? Dave's challenge and Dave's answer: his newly released CD, THE UNIVERSAL CHILD, done and ready to be enjoyed. He calls it "the spirit of a new age", but this CD covers such a variety of styles and so original, Dave will leave the genre-izing to other. "It moves right along. there truly is something for everyone." to quote one reviewer. On May 19, 2005 David W. McCann died suddenly at his home in Crooked River Ranch. True to Dave's style, he was challenging the Concertina while developing his new Mandolin skills and ready to go with his program-spot on Bend's new community radio station KPOV. Two new CD's were being worked: "Mc-Favorites" and "Country Shadows", with a video Chautauqua piece starting over the summer called "Titles/Challenges", targeting education/families and service groups with of course - music - what else for this "professional musical performer" who truly wanted to "hear your smile" The personal importance of THE UNIVERSAL CHILD to Dave can not possibly be expressed in words. He wasn't afraid of death anymore than he was afraid to live life because Dave did "Sing to the Song and played to the Music" www.7wings.com e/shakti@pacifier.com Diane Lynn, mcm free @ 866 504 7707 541-504-7707 fax/ 541 504 9031