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Big D started playing guitar at the age of 13, back in his native Massachusetts. He played in numerous cover bands over the years, working the club scene in the suburbs north and west of Boston. In 1981, Don took a few years off from regular gigging, and concentrated on working and making a living to support his family. It wasn't long, before the regular job required him to start traveling around the country. Starting in Massachusetts, his work travels took him to NH, CT, NY, NJ, PA, IN, NC, SC, AL, GA, FL, MI, TX, AZ, CA and OR. It was when he finally made it to the state of WA that he decided to settle down again. During these years of traveling, he always kept a guitar with him, and would strike up musical friendships whenever and wherever he could.
In early 1999, in a small club in Gig Harbor, WA, Don had the opportunity to sit in on several jam sessions with the legendary Jerry Miller of Moby Grape fame. It was during one of those jams, that Don crossed paths with Billy Moss, a guitarist who had been heavily involved in the local scene for nearly 20 years.
That chance meeting led to Don and Billy forming the beginnings of a new band. The band's sound was primarily blues, with a hint of the south (Billy was originally from Mobile, Alabama, and both Don and Billy had been heavily influenced by the southern rock sound of the early 1970’s). Bobby Nesbitt joined on drums, and the band started playing around the Tacoma, WA area, refining their sound and style. This association would eventually become the foundation of the band “Rebel Storm”. It was also around this time, that Don was tagged with the nickname "Big D". Over the last few years, Rebel Storm has become a dominant new force in the world of southern rock. The band won the prestigious GRITZ Sothern Music Hall of Fame HORIZON Award in 2002. They toured Europe in both 2002 and 2003, to critical acclaim. They have released to independent albums, "Stormin' South" in 2001, and "The Hard Way" in 2003. Both albums have received rave reviews by the press and fans alike. Several members of Rebel Storm received high honors over the last few years, with Don being voted #5 Bassist of the Year for 2003, by the readers of Bands of Dixie magazine in France (up from #7 in 2002). Rebel Storm was voted #5 Band of the Year for 2003 by the same group. Don, and other members of Rebel Storm, have been featured in numerous publications, both domestically, and internationally, such as GRITZ, Bands of Dixie, Crossroads, Easyriders, and more.
At the end of the 2003 tour, Rebel Storm decided to take an extended hiatus. Don is now involved in a internet based, east coast-west coast recording project, as well as other local events. |