Dan started out taking piano lessons in the early 60's and continued, studying with Charles Wade, Archie Mosley, Paul Mitchell, Don Reitan and Don Tweedy among others. He started playing “professionally” in the nightclubs and bars of Atlanta at an early age. Always hidden behind the bass player, drummer or an upright piano with a low stool, he continued these weekend gigs until the long arm of the law and the musicians union forced him out of the nightclubs at the tender age of 12.
“Meeting the entertainers, musicians, comics and especially the exotic dancers made for a great 3 years...however, not having a drivers license made getting to the gigs a problem because I never wanted my mother to know.” Depending solely on his father for the jobs, referrals and commute (Bud Turner owned a few clubs in Atlanta and was part of the nightclub circuit for many years) his father would drive back from Atlanta and call him out through a rear window and deliver him to the job. Tear-down consisted of having breakfast with the entertainers at the Marriott and then sneaking back home at 3am....only for his mother to wake him up at 7am for Church on Sundays or music theory on Saturdays.
While studying piano and synthesizers at the University of Georgia he also studied timpani and other percussion instruments. Dan has played with various groups in all sorts of musical genres; jazz, blues, rock, classical, country, pop and swing ... combos to large ensembles. He's played with: U. GA's Orchestra and Band, DeKalb County's Orchestra and Band, the Gwinnett Community Band, After Hours Jazz Trio, Jazz Creed Sextet, Rocky Creek Band (sextet), Mike Rogers (quintet), Brothel Blues Band, Atlanta Swing Orchestra and the Sentimental Journey Orchestra of which he currently marketing and vice president of this 36 year old orchestra. He currently manages the Atlanta Jazz Krewe (Dixieland Octet), the Atlanta Blues Krewe, Atlanta Jazz Trio and the Atlanta Jazz Quintet.
Dan was awarded the Atlanta Society of Entertainers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 as well as their award for Best Blues Band (Brothel Blues Band) in the same year. In November of 2004 Dan was inducted into the Atlanta Music Hall of Fame! Married much above his station in life to Susan (aka Tiny Dancer).
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