Ethan Daniel Davidson (born October 21, 1969) is an American musician and philanthropist known for producing folk music. Since the late 1990s, Davidson has released ten studio albums.
Guardian Industries
Guardian Industries is a privately held industrial manufacturer of glass, automotive and building products based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Auburn Hills, Michigan.
The company manufactures float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulat ...
, which was purchased by Koch Industries in 2017. He has one sister, Marla Karimipour, and three stepsisters, including actress
Elizabeth Reaser
Elizabeth Ann Reaser (born July 2, 1975) is an American film, television, and stage actress. Her work includes the films ''Stay'', ''The Family Stone'', ''Sweet Land'', '' Against the Current'', '' The Twilight Saga'', ''Young Adult'', and '' Oui ...
. He was raised in
Bloomfield, Michigan
Bloomfield Township, officially the Charter Township of Bloomfield, is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 41,070.
As a northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Bloomfi ...
and attended
Lahser High School
Lahser High School was a high school in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan, near Bloomfield Hills and in Greater Detroit. It was a part of Bloomfield Hills Schools. The school was opened in 1967. While attending Lahser High School, he was involved in a school band, which he credited with sparking an early interest in music for him.
Davidson graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He also studied at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. After graduating, he traveled as a bass player in various East Coast bands, and later moved to Alaska.
Music career
Early career
Davidson first began writing music in the 1990s while living in Wiseman, Alaska. While living in Alaska, he toured the United States on his Six Year Tour during which he played over 900 shows. His first six albums were produced by Al Sutton on his former record label, Times Beach Records, and recorded in Royal Oak, Michigan.
2012–present
Davidson's wife Gretchen Gonzales Davidson and
Warren Defever
Warren Defever (first name often spelled Warn; born April 30, 1969) is a musician and producer, originally from Livonia, Michigan, and now based in Detroit. He is most known for his chameleonic project His Name Is Alive, though he is active in nu ...
of His Name Is Alive produced four of Davidson's records, including ''Silvertooth'' (2012) and ''Drawnigh'' (2015). Davidson and Gretchen founded the band Seedsmen of the World together. Davidson's 2017 album ''Crows'' was produced by Blue Arrow Records of Cleveland, Ohio.
Davidson and his wife co-produced the documentary ''Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story'', which headlined the 2019 Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival. The 90-minute film follows the life of William Davidson and highlights his business philosophies. Davidson also produced the soundtrack for the documentary, which was directed by Deb Agolli and Push Media.
On August 18, it was announced that Davidson was releasing another album, titled ''Come Down Lonesome'', produced with his wife and Defever. The album was released on August 21, 2020 and included both original songs and covers.
Davidson's song "Till the Light Comes Shining In" was featured in Season One, Episode 7 of the Spectrum Original television show Joe Pickett '.
Books
* Davidson, Ethan Daniel (2021). '. El Studio 444. ISBN 978-0578830100
Style and influences
Davidson's style has been described as folk, folk rock, and
American folk
''American Folk'' is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by David Heinz. The film stars Joe Purdy, Amber Rubarth, Krisha Fairchild, David Fine, Bruce Beatty and Elizabeth Dennehy. The film was released on January 26, 2018, by Good ...
Calexico
Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Diego ...
. His early music often featured heavily political themes, while his later albums focus more on existential conflicts.
Personal life
Davidson is married to Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, a musician best known for her participation in the band Slumber Party, which released three records on the label Kill Rock Stars. Together, the couple have three children.
Philanthropy
Davidson was named as the board chair for the Michigan Opera Theatre, succeeding Rick Williams, who stepped down in 2019. Davidson also serves as a board member at
Motown Museum
"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters and recording studio. The house (formerly a photographers' studio) is located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, near the New Center area. The house was pur ...
and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Davidson is Treasurer and Chairman of the Grants Committee for The William Davidson Foundation, which was founded by his father.