DAVID STARR

With a name like Starr, is it any wonder? The Arkansas native has honed his decades-long career releasing over eleven albums, touring internationally, sharing the stage with esteemed artists such as John Oates and John McEuen, and opening for acts like America, John Oates (Hall & Oates), Jim Messina, Travis Tritt, Restless Heart, Karla Bonoff, The Steel Wheels, Survivor, and more. 

His unique mix of soulful vocals and honest lyrics create a Blues/Americana sound all his own; garnering him prestigious showcase performances at Folk Alliance International, AmericanaFest, and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance. He consistently independently books and performs over 70 dates per year, including dates in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where he has continued to grow recurring audiences year after year. David frequently tops the Colorado Music Chart and is one of the most downloaded artists on Airplay Direct. A master guitarist, he is endorsed by Breedlove Guitars and was honored to create his own limited edition signature guitar and featured on the cover of their Spring 2021 magazine. 

In 2024 he melded his blues background of growing up playing drums and electric guitar in Southern Arkansas clubs with his time spent in Nashville exploring Americana and Folk. What he arrived at was his own brand of “Bluesicana” - a melding of the two genres for his highly anticipated album, Must Be Blue. After receiving rave reviews and recognition on previous singles from editorial playlists on Spotify such as “Got Blues”, it was clear he was striking a nerve. GRAMMY®-winning label Quarto Valley Records agreed and signed Starr to a record deal for the album, releasing April 25th, 2025. He is a member of the Blues Foundation, The Colorado Blues Society, and the Pikes Peak Blues Society.

His latest album, Starr & Stucky, is an acoustic project with longtime accompanist and mandolin player Erik Stucky. The record is a nod to Starr’s dynamic live show with reimagined acoustic versions of setlist favorites. With each song recorded in one take at Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville, TN there are virtually no edits, showcasing both of their raw talents. 

Previous projects include Better Me, which includes high energy acoustic-driven songs such as the title track and “Closer To You,”  the fiesty blues-rock “Poison The Water,” and Starr’s 2020-21 album Touchstones, where he released a single a month for a year. A crowd favorite, Starr went back to his roots covering the music that shaped his own, from "I've Got To Use My Imagination" (Gladys Knight),  to “Drive” (The Cars), and to "These Days" (Jackson Browne).

Starr’s critically acclaimed album Beauty & Ruin is a collection of songs inspired by Of What Was, Nothing Is Left, a novel written by Starr’s grandfather in 1972. Produced and arranged by John Oates, it is a southern gothic tale beautifully told through Starr’s own musical lens, with the help of some of his favorite Nashville collaborators including ​​Dana Cooper, John Oates, Irene Kelley, Doug and Telisha Williams, Shelley Rae Korntved, and Jim Lauderdale.

His prestige extends beyond the stage as well, having launched Starr’s Guitars in Little Rock, before relocating to Cedaredge, CO in 2001, where it is now a beloved institution. Starr is a founding member of the board for the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center in Cedaredge, an intimate event space aimed at attracting musicians and visual artists to Colorado’s Western Slope. He curates the town’s annual Apple Fest, which draws over 15,000 people to the area, securing live music from more than a dozen acts on the Starr’s Guitar Stage over the course of the 3 day festival. In addition, he produced the sold-out inaugural Grand Mesa Songwriter Festival in June 2024, which brought over 15 songwriters from the US & UK to perform across five venues in Cedaredge.

An early riser by nature, Starr is often found up before 5am, and applies that same work ethic to his music. A prolific artist, he is constantly touring, writing, and recording; and continues to affirm himself as a mainstay in the Americana/Folk genre.