Matthew Davidson is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter originally from Shreveport, Louisiana and now based in Nashville, TN. He is currently touring with Travis Denning. He has performed at the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divi ...

, on

Today with Hoda and Jenna ''Today with Hoda & Jenna '' (also known as the fourth hour of ''Today'' or simply ''Hoda & Jenna'') is an American daytime television talk show on NBC, hosted by Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. The program airs as the fourth hour of NBC's ''Toda ...

, and on Broadway in downtown Nashville at venues such as Dierks Whiskey Row, The Stage, Legends Corner, Second Fiddle, Jason Aldean's, and Luke Bryan's 32 Bridge. He graduated in 2020 from

Belmont University Belmont University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporated in 1951 as Belmont College. It b ...

with a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Guitar. Matthew has played guitar for supporting artists opening for

Walker Hayes Charles Edgar Walker Hayes (born December 27, 1979) is an American country-pop singer and songwriter. He has released three studio albums: ''Reason to Rhyme'' in 2011 on Capitol Records Nashville, and '' Boom'' and '' Country Stuff the Album'' ...

and

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

Awards and experience

Matthew was the winner of the 2011

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generat ...

Blues Foundation/Gibson Guitar New Generation Award. Matthew's debut EP "Step Up" was released in 2012 and produced by bassist

Joe Osborn Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018OffBeat (music magazine) ''OffBeat'' is a New Orleans, Louisiana monthly local music magazine founded by Jan V. Ramsey in 1987. The magazine, published by OffBeat, Inc., focuses on the popular music of New Orleans and Louisiana, which is generally R&B, blues, jazz, r ...

in New Orleans in their annual "Best of the Beat" Awards. Matthew performed as a guest soloist with The

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is based in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish and the largest city in north Louisiana. The SSO performs most of its concerts in the newly renovated RiverView Theater (formerly Shreveport Civic Theater) ...

in May, 2015. Matthew’s original song “Read My Mind” was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition. Matthew and his band opened for

Austin Mahone Austin Harris Mahone (; born April 4, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter and professional wrestler. Mahone gained popularity performing covers of pop songs on YouTube. He released three albums to date. Famous releases include " Say Somethi ...

in 2014,

Fifth Harmony Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, was an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and previously Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group si ...

in 2015 and

Rachel Platten Rachel Ashley Platten (born May 20, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and author. After releasing two albums independently in 2003 and 2011, she signed with Columbia Records in 2015 and released her mainstream debut single, " Fight Song", w ...

in 2016. Photographer Robert M. Knight invited Matthew to join “The Brotherhood of the Guitar” (BOTG). The BOTG is a project launched by Knight and sponsored by

Ernie Ball Ernie Ball (born Roland Sherwood Ball; August 30, 1930 – September 9, 2004) was an American entrepreneur and musician who developed guitar-related products. Ball began as a club and local television musician and entrepreneur, building an int ...

. The BOTG’s purpose is to shine a spotlight on a select group of unsigned up-and-coming young guitar players from around the world. Matthew was the featured BOTG member in the Sept. 2013 issue of "At:

Guitar Center Guitar Center is an American musical instrument retailer chain. It is the largest company of its kind in the United States, with 294 locations. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California. Guitar Center oversees various subsidiaries in ...

" magazine. Matthew was selected by The Grammy Foundation to attend both 2014 and 2015 Grammy Camp in Nashville, TN hosted by

. The camp offered high school students a week-long immersive music experience, focusing on all aspects of commercial music and taught by industry professionals Applicants were selected based on submissions of performance and interview videos. In 2013, he placed in the Top 10 in an international guitar contest sponsored by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

and

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

. Matthew won his first electric guitar in the 2007

James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...

Guitar Showdown. He was the youngest of eight student guitarists selected to play with

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist. Life and career Shepherd wa ...

at his 2009 Artbreak Concert. He has played at the

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Museum and the B.B. King Homecoming Concert in Indianola, MS and the Delta Blues Fest in Greenville, MS, where in addition to his own set, he sat in with

Honeyboy Edwards Honey Boy may refer to: People * Honeyboy Edwards (1915–2011), American Delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi * George "Honey Boy" Evans (1870–1915), Welsh-born songwriter and vaudeville entertainer *Honey Boy Martin (born c. 1949), ...

for a few songs. Matthew has played at the

Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifet ...

Homecoming Celebration and the famous Ground Zero (blues club) in Clarksdale, MS. Matthew performed at the Dallas International Guitar Festival and in the Youth Showcase at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, jamming at the B. B. King Blues Club while he was there. Other venues where Matthew has performed are The

Strand Theatre (Shreveport, Louisiana) The Strand Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, opened in 1925 as a Vaudeville venue and was nicknamed "The greatest theatre of the South" and the "Million Dollar Theatre" by its builders, Julian and Abraham Saenger of Shreveport, owne ...

Temple Theater (Meridian, Mississippi) The Hamasa Shrine Temple Theater, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, is a historic theater located at 2320 8th Street in Meridian, Mississippi. The Temple Theater was constructed in the Moorish Revival style and began scr ...

, The Ellis Marsalis Center in the Musicians' Village,

New Orleans Mint The New Orleans Mint (french: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. During its years of operation, it produced over 427 millio ...

in New Orleans, LA and the

Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium is a historic performance and meeting venue at 705 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Shreveport, Louisiana. It is an Art Deco building constructed between 1926 and 1929 during the administration of Mayor Lee Emm ...

, home of the famed

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the ...

. In 2013, Matthew was invited to join

on stage at the 59Twenty Music Festival in Meridian, MS. Matthew was selected out of several hundred applicants to be the guitarist for the 2011

Kidd Kraddick David Peter Cradick (August 22, 1959 – July 27, 2013) was an American radio host and television personality, known as Kidd Kraddick. His nationally syndicated morning radio show, '' The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show'', is based in Irving, ...

Rock Camp Band. As part of this camp, Matthew had the opportunity to perform live on the air on the nationally syndicated radio show "Kidd Kraddick in the Morning". Matthew has had the honor of sharing the stage with

Joe Osborn Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018Brady Blade Brady L Blade Jr. (born 1965 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is an American rock, pop and country drummer, record producer and composer, who currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the son of Dorothy and Pastor Brady Blade Sr. (Pastor of the ...

, and

Patrick Stump Patrick Martin Stumph (born April 27, 1984), known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Fall Out Boy, originally from Wilmette, ...

from Fall Out Boy. Matthew's musical taste was largely acquired from listening to his dad's CD collection of music by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

, Eric Clapton,

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years ...

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

and

Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...

Early career performances

The Matthew Davidson Band made their debut on June 25, 2010. They played at The

International Guitar Festival, the State Fair of Louisiana, Independence Stadium, the Krewe of Centaur Parade, the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival, Holiday in Dixie, AlleyFest in Longview, TX, Fort Worth Mayfest, Grapefest in Grapevine, TX, The T-Bone Walker Blues Fest in Linden, TX, Crossroads Music Company in Winnsboro, TX and the KTBS 3 Independence Day Festival. They were honored to be selected as the Grand Marshals of the Krewe of Aesclepius Mardi Gras Parade. The Matthew Davidson Band performed at the Dallas

House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...

, the

Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and ...

in Dallas, on

Red River Radio Red River Radio is the regional public radio station for northwest Louisiana, southern Arkansas, eastern Texas, and the southeasternmost corner of Oklahoma. The network is headquartered on the campus of Louisiana State University in Shrevepor ...

and headlined the Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson, MS. They performed at the 2011

King Biscuit Blues Festival The King Biscuit Blues Festival is an annual, multi-day blues festival, held in Helena, Arkansas, United States. History The name of the festival comes from ''King Biscuit Time'', which was the longest running radio show. Sonny Boy Williamson ...

in Helena, AR, the 2012

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of vi ...

, the 2012

Natchitoches Christmas Festival The Natchitoches Christmas Festival (Festival of Lights) is held annually in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the first weekend in December. History The Christmas festival is expanded throughout the community each year but is centered on the historic ...

, the 2013 Baton Rouge FestForAll and the 2013 Louisiana Seafood Festival in New Orleans.

Independent albums

References

"Starting Small Music Podcast - Matthew Davidson: Guitarist for Travis Denning" - April 15,2022

"Davidson Plays Guitar for Travis Denning's Performance on Today with Hoda and Jenna" - Belmont University News - March 11,2020

"Former Fleetwood Mac Member Bob Welch Celebrated in Musicians Hall of Fame Exhibit" - Belmont University News - August 27,2018

"Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Matthew Davidson" - National Federation of Independent Business - August 30,2016

"Love for music leads to scholarship for local student" - Kevin Connelly, The Shreveport Times - April 26,2016

"Radio Segment Congratulating Matthew for opening for Fifth Harmony" - K945.com by Jay Whatley - July 27,2015

"Shreveporter Matthew Davidson Opened for Fifth Harmony" - K945.com by Jay Whatley - July 27,2015

"What Makes a Prodigy?" - The Shreveport Times - February 26,2015

"A Good Pick" - The Forum News - August 20,2014

"Shreveport's Matthew Davidson Opened for Austin Mahone" - Jay Whatley, K94.5 - July 14,2014

"Students Learn the Music Industry at Grammy Camp" - News Channel 5 (Nashville, TN) - June 11,2014

"Matthew Davidson - "Cross My Heart" review - Offbeat Magazine - June 1,2014

"Matthew Davidson - "Cross My Heart" 2014" - Something Else Reviews - May 14,2014

"Shreveport Band to Rock AlleyFest" - The Longview News-Journal - May 8,2014

"Matthew Davidson Impresses with Cross My Heart" - Derick Jones, The Shreveport Times - April 23,2014

"Louisiana's 16 year-old guitar slinger, Matthew Davidson, is a Heartbreaker" - Robert Trudeau, Heliopolis - April 16,2014

"Mom-a-gers: The Guitar Hero" - Stephanie Jordan, City Life Magazine - April 1,2014

"5 Things You Didn't Know about Matthew Davidson" - Justin Massoud, K94.5 - March 4,2014

"One Track Mind: Matthew Davidson "Heartbreaker" 2013" - Nick DeRiso, Something Else Reviews - Oct.27,2013

"Popular Band is Back Again for Second Saturday" - Marshall News-Messenger - Sept.14, 2013

"Shreveport's Matthew Davidson Featured in Guitar Center, Releases New Single" - K945 - Sept.4, 2013

"Matthew Davidson Visits Seacrest Studios" - Children's Medical Center Dallas - July 19, 2013

"Matthew Davidson Invited to Join Brotherhood of the Guitar" - American Blues Scene - April 30, 2013

"Entertainment Reporter Interviews Matthew Davidson and Robert Knight" - Jabari Thomas KSLA(CBS) - April 30, 2013

"Shreveport's Own Matthew Davidson in Robert Knight's Eye" - K94.5 - April 26, 2013

"Matthew Davidson Interview and Performance" - KPXJ/KTBS Interview - April 23, 2013

"Shreveport teen making name for himself in music" - John Wirt,The Baton Rouge Advocate - April 5, 2013

"Matthew Davidson Invited to Join 'Brotherhood of the Guitar'" - The Shreveport Times - April 2, 2013

"Sucarnochee Revue to record live in Livingston" - The Demopolis Times - January 30, 2013

"Robert Johnson Blues Foundation Award Recipient Matthew Davidson Talks About the Blues" - William Clark - Guitar International - January 9, 2013

"Music Review-Matthew Davidson-Step Up" - Alex V. Cook - Offbeat Magazine - January, 2013

"Matthew Davidson at Northwest LA Veterans Home on Christmas Eve" - KTAL News Channel 6 - Dec. 24, 2012

"Prodigies Will Play at 'Turn on the Lights'" - Amanda Franko-Tobin - The Natchitoches Times - Nov. 16, 2012

"Album Review - Matthew Davidson's Step Up" - Annie Reuter - You Sing I Write - Oct. 9, 2012

"Music Notes - October" - County Line Magazine - Sept. 28, 2012

"10:01 Spotlight - Matthew Davidson Steps Up" - Bill Beckett - Red River Radio - Sept. 28, 2012

* ttp://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/09/13/matthew-davidson-releases-step-up-ep-featuring-joe-osborn/ "Matthew Davidson Releases "Step Up" EP, featuring Joe Osborn" - NoTreble.com - Sept. 13, 2012
"Teen Guitar Prodigy Steps Up with Debut Recording" - PRWeb.com - Sept. 6, 2012

"Living The Dream - Rock n Roll Style" - Derick Jones, The Shreveport Times - Aug.17, 2012

"Interview with Matthew Davidson and Joe Osborn" - Talk of the Town with Tom Pace - July 28, 2012

"Cities in Blue - Texas" - Canadian Television Program - 2012

"Shreveport’s Own Matthew Davidson Band Rocks Jazz Fest" - K94.5 - May 10, 2012

* [https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/festivals/article_7b41cc66-31d9-5e6a-a538-6aa33dcf358f.html "Teen bluesman Matthew Davidson to close Kids Tent at New Orleans Jazz Fest Saturday" - New Orleans Times-Picayune (NOLA.com) - May 4, 2012]
"Guitar Prodigy - Humble & Hip" - SB Magazine - May, 2012

* ttp://k945.com/matthew-davidson-is-the-man/ "Matthew Davidson is THE Man - Blue Star Connection Donates Instruments to Sutton Children's Hospital" -K945.com - Mar. 16, 2012
"Shreveport Teen Wins Robert Johnson New Generation Award" -The Shreveport Times - Jan. 5, 2012

"2011 New Generation Award Winner" - Robert Johnson Blues Foundation website

"Teen Guitarist Matthew Davidson Wins Robert Johnson Award" - American Blues Scene - Jan. 5, 2012

* ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN9fVFIwE9Y 2011 Kidd Kraddick Rock Camp Band - Breaking Even on "Good Morning, Texas", Aug. 17, 2011
Kidd Kraddick Presents the Third Rock Camp - AllAccess.com - July 27, 2011

Interview with Matthew Davidson at Kidd Kraddick Rock Camp - July, 2011

KTBS 3 Interview promoting Matthew's appearance at the KTBS Independence Day Festival - July 3, 2011

"Get Ready East Texas for The Matthew Davidson Band" Piney Woods Live - June, 2011

"13 Year Old Blues Man Matthew Davidson" American Blues Scene May, 2011

KTBS coverage of The Matthew Davidson Band in the Krewe of Centaur Mardi Gras parade - Feb., 2011

"Interview with The Matthew Davidson Band" KTBS 3 - Oct. 10, 2010

"Interview with Matthew Davidson at the Delta Blues Fest" Greenville, MS - Sept. 18, 2010

External links

* Matthew Davidson's websit

* Matthew Davidson's Facebook pag

* Matthew Davidson's Instagram pag

* Matthew Davidson's Twitter pag

* Matthew Davidson's YouTube channe

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Matthew 1998 births Living people Guitarists from Louisiana Musicians from Shreveport, Louisiana 21st-century American guitarists