Howard Dee Gray

SEEKING

Drums.

ABOUT

Although I have been assigned several nick names over the years, my official legal name is Howard David Gray. AKA Howard Dee Gray, Blade Gray, H.D. Gray and just plain old Dee. No I am not related to British music artist “David Gray” However, yes it is true I am the older brother of song writer, guitar player, producer, and member of Operation Mind Crime, (Geoff Tate Band) “Kelly Gray”.

I have been a recording artist since my youth in the early 80’s. Although I am best known for my vocal work with a few Seattle area hard rock bands of that era such as Steel Sea, The Heat and Mistrust, I always felt very out of my element with the genre. I just did not feel a connection with the audience performing that style of music.

I prefer working in a more melodic complex style reminiscent of the old 60’s and 70’s greats such as the Beatles, The Doors, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, led Zeppelin. Coupled with some of great ballad singers of the era I have gained inspiration from such as Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, Gino Vanelli.

In light of this desire, in 1992 I decided to walk away from the hard rock world. In 1994 I built a small digital recording studio and laid down a number of scratch tracks in an effort to find a style of sound that best resonated musically with what I felt I needed to convey to the audience as an artist. I really was looking for something that wasn’t self serving, or put me on some kind of pedestal, I wanted to do something that would truly resonate with people on a personal compassionate level.

Over the years the few individuals who knew of these half finished works would occasionally poke me in the ribs inquiring as to why I had never done anything with this stuff. But I felt lost in all of it, I was not satisfied with where it was going, I became discouraged with it all tossed it in a box and there it stayed for several years.

Due to the pressure of friends and family, a few years back I decided to come out of musical retirement. Reassembled my studio with some newer parts and set about re recording some of the older stuff as well as adding some new tracks.

The problem is I am a terrible drummer. I can play well enough to get an idea across, but that is all.