David Michael Lee
B i o g r a p h y
David Michael Lee has been entertaining Northwest audiences for 40 years. In 1973 David began his professional career at the age of 14 playing pipe organ at the Organ Grinder Restaurant in Portland Oregon where he was featured in a Ray Summers TV spot and the CBS Evening News Nationally. Three years later Lee released his first solo album "David Lee" which received radio airplay in the Northwest and Great Britain. Lee continued pipe organ performance at Big Bob's (Seattle area) and Uncle Milt's in Vancouver Washington until 1987.
David attended Mt. Hood Community College and Lewis and Clark College. In 1980 Lee co-founded the top-40 band "Wiseguys" performing six nights a week on keyboards and vocals. That same year he founded Youth Programs, a musical awareness lecture/performance for schools K-6, and a jazz history lecture/performance for colleges.
Lee left Wiseguys in 1984 to develop solo piano arranging and performance which led him to an eleven year engagement at McCormick & Schmick's Restaurant in Portland playing solo, duos, and leading a dixieland band.
David started Rivard Recordings in 1994 releasing his second album/CD "Harbor Morning," which has been remastered and rereleased with two new songs. Lee performed six years through 2006 at The Heathman Hotel in Portland. In 2002 David helped open Portland City Grill (30th floor US Bank Tower) as one of the staff pianists and played two nights a week for 10 years. He now plays there every Sunday.
David Michael Lee was Music Director at Creator Lutheran Church, Clackamas Oregon from 2007-2014.
In 2012 David released the solo piano CD "Swingin' Piano."