Remembering David M. Bailey

(Photo Courtesy of Phil Vancelette)
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Remembering David M. Bailey

February 26, 1966- October 2, 2010

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Last December, I contacted my friend and photographer Phil Vancelette about an idea I had to celebrate the life of our late friend, singer-songwriter David M. Bailey. I had some mixed emotions about doing so and wanted Phil's objectivity. In a few minutes you'll understand why I asked Phil for his feedback. 

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In 2006, the opportunity and privilege of interviewing David came to me from Keri Kennedy, a tireless advocate for brain tumor awareness. Little did I know the amazing journey I was about to travel, and later, watch from the sidelines involving David M. Bailey. His amazing life story was the subject of news programs including CBS News' "60 Minutes", "Dateline USA", The FOX News Channel, and NPR-National Public Radio.

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Had David lived, today would have been his 47th birthday. Phil Vancelette thought my idea of celebrating David's life by re-publishing our interview was heartfelt and positive. Next, I reached out to David's family and received their kind permission to go ahead. Even with this encouragement, there is great responsibility. So, with your kind permission, a proper introduction would be helpful to all who are reading this three-part series. David M. Bailey's life is an amazing story of love, courage, determination, faith and hope. Not coincidentally, each of these subjects were explored by Bailey on 23 CD's recorded over 12 years. In 2008, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta included David's story in a book. More on that in a few minutes.

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(Photo Courtesy of Phil Vancelette)
The Legendary Palace Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky

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Origins

David M. Bailey was born to parents who were Christian missionaries in the Middle East. With the onset of the Lebanese civil war, David and his family evacuated Beirut, Lebanon to the safety of Switzerland in 1967, and later to Cyprus in 1982. He completed his final years of high school in Germany, where he also began taking guitar lessons. After formal lessons were completed, his music teacher told a reluctant Bailey that it would be a good idea to learn Classical guitar as a means of broadening his skills, and he agreed to pursue these studies.

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United States
After relocating to the United States, David began attending Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania, where he met and married his wife Leslie. David was a very active performing songwriter during college, and played many weekend gigs. After graduating with a degree in English and Communication Arts, David and Leslie married and relocated to the Washington, D.C. area, where he worked in the software industry. The couple's daughter, Kelcey, was born in 1992. Their son, Cameron, arrived in 1994.

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A Life Changing Event                  

Just one day before The Bailey’s were scheduled to move to Boston in July of 1996, David became ill, and was eventually diagnosed with brain cancer—a Glioblastoma Multiforme Stage IV tumor also known as a GBM. Surgeons removed the tumor, but later told David that he could expect to live only six months. As David would reveal to me in our conversation, his response was to give up his software career and refocus his energy on his guitar skills, intent on becoming a "troubadour of hope" for others. Two additional surgeries were followed with radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

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A Troubadour of Hope

What astonishes me to this day is how David chose to respond to such a shocking prognosis. He began an incredible, if not relentless schedule of composing, recording and touring through 45 U.S. States and 21 countries abroad. His venues ranged from churches, coffee houses (including Nashville, Tennessee's famous Blue Bird Cafe), outdoor tents, medical conferences, and cancer survivor groups. Often compared with James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Jim Croce, Bailey's seminal CD release, "Coffee with the Angels" combined a wonderful montage of humor (his love of coffee in the song, "Java Junkie") to encouraging listeners that Hope and Faith are essentials to a life well lived. While sharing his faith, Bailey never forced his message. Instead, he encouraged others with burdens in the song,  "Good to Have a Friend", and to those who felt the temptation to give up, he wrote "Not Yet". Here was a peaceful man with a genuine sense of wit and humor. Shortly after our interview, David appeared on a popular morning radio show in England while on tour. Video of the appearance became available on YouTube. Back in the United States, Bailey was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of his fans awoke each morning to his song, "One More Day". The strident life-affirming anthem carried the lyric, "There may be years of tears behind you, but right now you've got One More Day". An accomplished finger style guitarist, the song set a course for what would become an indefatigable spirit to persevere in such songs as "Keep on Walking". With "It's OK", Bailey addresses the need to experience and express feelings.

 

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The First CD I Received from David in the Mail

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In January, 2007 David invited me to attend a performance before a conference of Oncology Nurses in Northern Ohio. David took the stage and sat down with his ever-present large cup of coffee. I stood at the back of the hall in awe of this talented singer, who gave an amazing solo acoustic concert. On stage, David had an inherent grace. In between songs, he would joke about an event that occurred to him at the airport, his trademark tie-dyed bandanna and jeans, or a new song he was working on.

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Afterward, David greeted me with a smile, happy to see me as we shook hands. He was proud and very attentive as fans stood around him.  Although I had no way of knowing it at the time, a terrific photographer, Phil Vancelette--himself a brain cancer survivor--had become both a fan and a friend of David M. Bailey. Many of the photos I had viewed of David in concert were taken by Phil, and we later became friends.

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In 2008, David experienced a recurrence of brain cancer. Determined to press on, he resumed touring throughout 2009 until his final performance in July, 2010. David passed away on October 2nd, just 44 years of age. He defied the prognosis of medical experts for 14 years, and today his music continues to inspire fans all over the world.

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On his song, “Compass”, David sings the lyric: "The tears of the angels form a river where you can wash your pain, and even in the middle of the thunder, don't let go of the love inside the rain."

 

David with Phil Vancelette at Itasca, Illinois 2005

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Phil Vancelette

Knowing of Phil Vancelette's connection with David, I asked him to share some reflections of the man who's music inspired his own recovery to health. One of Phil's  most famous photographs of David M. Bailey was taken during a concert at the historic Palace Theatre. It is a photo many relate to as capturing the spirit of David in a live performance, and I included it atop this page. Phil managed to capture images of David over a period of several years of concert tours.

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"The first time I came in contact with David was on a trip I made with The Michael Quinlan Brain Tumor Foundation, located here in Louisville, Kentucky. The trip was to Lincolnshire, Illinois for The American Brain Tumor Association for a Bi-Annual event that they put on. Being a survivor himself, David was there to display his great music and in no way make anyone cry. In his words "Share Hope". I was basically his chauffeur when he came for a two night stay here in Louisville. We did do a lot of talking about our experience with having brain tumors when I picked him up at the airport and about what type of music we liked. But I must say after his shows he was always there to be with his fans". --Phil Vancelette

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(Image Courtesy of Grand Central Publishing)

David was exceedingly grateful to every doctor and nurse who attended to his care. Renowned neurosurgeon and CNN Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta mentioned David's story in his 2008 book “Cheating Death: The Doctors and Medical Miracles that Are Saving Lives Against All Odds”.  Here is how my conversation with David unfolded:

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(Photo Courtesy of Phil Vancelette)
David at a 2008 Performance

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Manning: I always like to work backwards a bit. So tell me, when did music first become your passion?

Bailey: I took piano lessons through elementary school but it never really stuck. Then in 7th grade, I took guitar lessons from my English teacher after school. My guitar was pieced together from 3 broken ones that had been donated to us. it was love at first pluck.

Manning: Who were your earliest musical influences?

Bailey: I grew up overseas, so radio didn't really have much of an impact on me. My folks had one Joni Mitchell record, and a few from Peter, Paul and Mary. I think I learned the idea of harmony from them. It was a huge thrill of mine to meet Peter later in Kerrville. I also listened to a lot of Cat Stevens, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Manning: That is so cool, because I've been a huge fan of all of those artists and saw Crosby, Stills and Nash twice. Your parents are Presbyterian missionaries and I know that you were in Beirut, Lebanon until the civil war there forced you to finish your schooling in Germany. Tell us how your musical training evolved?

Bailey: After the guitar classes were officially over, the teacher asked if I would like to take private lessons in classical guitar. I don't think I was hugely interested in that, but he assured me that it would really help my technique--no matter what I ended up doing--and he was right. I did that for a year, then later when I evacuated to Germany for high school, I connected with a German tutor for a bit of finger picking and jazz, but mostly it was in playing everyday that style developed.

Manning: When I listened to your "Live" CD, I was struck by how entirely at ease you were with the audience. Is there a method or a ritual you go through before every show to prepare for the gig?

Bailey: Great question! I would say the answer is no. Part of that comes, I guess, with years of just doing it. The other part is that I do have a pretty good idea of what I am going to do that night by way of a set list that I spend a lot of time on for each show--no two are the same. I think of it as a journey that we are all on together, and while I have a pretty good idea of where I hope we end up, the road there can take a lot of turns. Just try to enjoy the ride and be a good tour guide.

Manning: That's a terrific approach! You are known internationally. And I have heard others compare you to Cat Stevens, or Jim Croce. But I was surprised to learn that your influences are Bach and Kahlil Gibran?

Bailey: Listen to the Brandenburg Concertos with your eyes closed. The way he has so many things moving and finally resolving is kinda how I think. Gibran does the same thing with words, and his use of metaphor continues to inspire me.

Manning: Of course, this week now, I'll get into the Brandenburg Concertos with my eyes closed to see what I experience! How does David M. Bailey answer critics who might say, "He's too religious" or "He's too much in the inspirational category?"

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(Photo Courtesy of Phil Vancelette)
Autographing a Poster for an Usher at The Palace Theatre

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Bailey: Well, I'd be inclined to ask them why "inspiring" is bad? I'd also invite them to a concert so they could hear me in context of a larger body of work than just one song or CD. It's all about balance. For instance, I usually play my song about psycho airport security people right before or right after the one lamenting the death of a friend. Finally, I've been around enough to learn that winning awards and critic's ears is not what matters. It's nice when it happens, but I'm way more interested in connecting to my listeners and being true to who I am. Sounds really corny, but it's true. And, you know what they say: 'No one ever built a statue for a critic'.

Manning: Well said. That's the first time I've heard that one. I'll have to remember that--and use it too! Like many of us, you put down the guitar and went into the corporate world for a while to keep the bills paid. What made you focus entirely on earning a living with music? 

 

Bailey: I'd like to say that I had the vision and plan and executed it in a timely, controlled way. But the truth is at first, I never focused on trying to make a living with music. I was just making music to help keep my own heart and head alive and to share some of what I was learning with others. The money kinda straggled in later, until I had to choose between throwing myself back into the corporate world--kinda unthinkable--or take the small leap of faith and find out where music could go. It's a bit trite to say it, but now I have both a living and a life. More than anything, I love saying "a musician" when asked what I do.

 

Manning: I'd like to shift gears if we can onto the subject of what happened to your health. Your brain tumor sounds like something that came right out of left field?

 

Bailey: The headaches showed up one day, got bad, then over the course of a few days got really bad. Then one day I woke up and had a seizure and fell over. My wife called 9-1-1 and the next thing I remember, it was 4 days later, and I had taken an ambulance ride, a helicopter ride and had a brain operation. Crazy.

 

Manning: So, you were married at this point. How did you and your wife respond to such a terrible prognosis? Six months isn't much time at all to get one's life in order?

 

Bailey: She was and is a rock. Crazy thing is, the day all this happened was the same day we were supposed to move --the van was on the way, and our house was all packed ready to load. All of a sudden, everything changed and it took me several days to first understand this, and second, come to terms with it. She understood immediately that a new chapter had started, kept everything running and everyone afloat and, never had any doubt that I would live. Faith beyond measure.

 

Manning: That sure is, David. How do you yourself explain that you have beaten the odds? You are very much alive and well today. I have looked over your Touring Itinerary and it's relentless. How do you explain your ability to achieve this from your perspective?

 

Bailey: As for my beating the odds, I've received the very best care in the world at Duke University. I am aware that there are countless people praying for me, and most of whom I've never met. And I have a unique passion that drives me to get up early and stay up late. And I learned this the hard way. The passion must include helping others. I think that's huge. It's kind of exhausting to live that way, but nothing a nap can't fix. As for the busy touring, well, the kids like to eat and I don't have much else to do.

 

Manning: Do you ever ask, "Why me?" 

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Bailey: Ten days after the first surgery, I asked it once. I had a long conversation with God that day, and quickly learned it wasn't that it was a bad question-just a useless one. I realized that even if I knew, it wouldn't change what was important--namely, what was I going to do with the time I have? It was an easy change --not 'why?', but instead, 'What now?' That question was empowering and I still ask it every day.

 

Manning: You are a spiritual man, a Christian. Were you ever angry at God?

Bailey: Yes, just once--at the beginning of the 'why me' conversation, which actually began with me screaming that question. By the time we were done, I was looking for my first answer to "what now?'", which turned out to be the guitar.

Manning: How are you feeling these days physically?

Bailey: Great! Just got my annual check up scan and it's all clear. Oh, I also just turned 40-- which is a bigger milestone than I expected. Wondering if I am supposed to get a real job now that I am all grown up? (laughter)

Manning: Can you take us through an average day when you are off the road and on the road? Are there certain medicines that help you or certain exercises that help you remain well?

Bailey: Medicine-wise, I just take stuff for seizures and vitamins. Nothing fancy. A typical day on the road is actually more typical than at home --fly, hotel, gig, fly. I guess the stage is kinda like a second home But it takes a good amount of effort and time to get to that 90 minutes on stage. Aside from the actual performance and the time afterwards meeting people, the whole process of touring is semi-routine, punctuated by lots of unpredictable variables. The sound system, the sound check, the audience, the lodging, the town itself, etc. There are moments when you stop and wonder "What am I doing here?" but they are few and far between. Mostly, I am blessed to have one of the few jobs in the world where, when you are done, people stand up and applaud. And on those nights when it feels like maybe I didn't really connect, it always amazes me to hear what folks say afterwards. Very affirming.

Part 2 Continues on Thursday...

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