David Ackles

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David Thomas Ackles (born February 20, 1937 in Rock Island , Illinois , United States , † March 2, 1999 in Pasadena , California , United States) was an American singer-songwriter , pianist , university teacher and child actor .

Life

Family and first appearances as a child, 1937 to 1949

David Ackle's mother, Queenie Rolfe, came from the UK and came from a family artistically rooted in the tradition of the music halls there. Her father was a comedian, her mother led a women's band. She taught David and his sister Sally, who was two years older than him, and studied small stage programs with them. His father Thomas Ackles was a car dealer and an accomplished amateur musician. On December 12, 1940, the pair performed a dance number at a dinner event at the Fort Armstrong Hotel on Rock Island. On May 8th and 9th, he appeared in a school play at Rock Island High School of the play The American way . They also sang and danced at a Rock Island Woman's Club event at the Fort Armstrong Hotel on May 18, 1941. On May 29, 1941, he appeared as a member of the Children's Drama Group in the play Dreamland. He received dance lessons at the Maureen Bennett School of Dancing and participated in various events. David received singing lessons from Maureen Englin at the WHBF Studios. Until 1945 he performed with Sally as a singing and dancing duo at charity events in and around Rock Island. During 1945, the siblings first moved to Hollywood with their mother , while their father stayed in Rock Island because of the auto trade. David and Sally have appeared on United Service Organizations shows in California . Both took dance lessons twice a week from Louis Mosconi, the dance director at Warner Bros., and attended the Mar-Ken School for Professional Children five mornings a week . In 1946 David got a role in the first sequel, The Return of Rusty, of the B-movie series Rusty the Dog. They then returned to Rock Island in the summer of 1946. Then they went back to Hollywood and David shot the sequel The Son of Rusty in 1947 . Rusty's Birthday was his last film as a child actor in 1949.

Youth, studies and first years of employment, 1949 to 1965

His film career ended at the age of twelve when his voice broke and his beard began to grow . In 1950 David Ackles won a prize in a poetry competition of the California Federation of Chaparral Poets . Sally married in 1955. David attended Los Angeles High School and, in 1957, directed dance routines at high school music shows as the dance director . In 1960 he performed again with his sister as a singing and dancing duo at an event with the motto Gay Nineties Variety Show of the Granada Hill's Junior Woman's Club with Uncle Sam Rag and on April 16, 1962 he presented folk at a dinner event of the club Songs. Ackles studied English literature at the University of Southern California and went to the University of Edinburgh for another year . After graduating with a Masters degree, he spent several years doing odd jobs. Among other things, he worked as a bar pianist, gardener, car salesman, private detective, in a security service, as an unskilled worker in a circus and occasionally in the theater and television . In 1966 he played a supporting role as a carousel operator in the US horror film Blood Bath. He started composing. In addition to choral pieces, he wrote musicals and scores for ballet. This later shaped his songwriting and his theatrical singing style .

Time as a songwriter from 1967 to 1979

In 1967 the song Blue River was written in the thematic context of the Watts riot , which was considered to be recorded by Cher . David Anderle, producer at Elektra Records and a school friend, was impressed and, in consultation with Elektra President Jac Holzman , Ackles was inducted into the songwriting baton for Elektra Records in 1967 alongside Tom Rush , Tim Buckley and Fred Neil . After a few months, Holzman approached Ackles and offered him to produce an album with him as the singer of his songs. In 1968 the first album by David Ackles followed with the singles Down River and Road to Cairo . With a favorable reception by the critics, a small group called it the best rock album in 1968, the LP only achieved moderate sales. Other artists also took a liking to the songs and recorded cover versions. The British band Spooky Tooth Down River , Julie Driscoll , Brian Auger & The Trinity Road to Cairo and Martin Carthy His name is Andrew took over . Equipped with a larger budget, the second album Subway to the Country followed a year later . Here too there was no great success. For the third album he took two years. For the songs, he observed contemporary life in the United States. Between September 1971 and July 1972 he went to Wargrave, Berkshire . The spatial distance gave him another view of the songs on the new album. He gave a few concerts and appeared in various TV shows. The album, entitled American Gothic , was produced by Bernie Taupin in London. It became his greatest success. The London Times and Melody Maker named it album of the year 1972. After the album, he separated from Elektra Records by mutual agreement . In December 1972 he married Janice Vogel. Clive Davis of Columbia Records offered him a new contract. In this context, the album Five & Dime was created . It became his last solo album. After that he continued working as a songwriter for Warner Brothers. He was contractually obliged to write songs for various artists such as Bette Midler and Three Dog Night . Many songs were created during this work, which were recorded in the studio by singer Kim Carnes . But none of the artists for whom the songs were intended decided to put the songs on their albums, and Ackles withdrew from the music business.

Time after 1980

In the early 1980s, Ackles was involved in a car accident with a drunk driver. He was seriously injured and had to sit in a wheelchair for six months. His left arm was almost severed. Only after his wife intervened, saying that he was a pianist, an attempt was made to preserve his arm. Even so, he was unable to play the piano for 18 months, and the damage to his nerves left him severely impaired. He remained a pain patient until the end of his life. In the 1980s, Ackles looked for new fields of activity. He spent four years at the University of Southern California as the Dean of Economics Programs at the College of Continuing Education . He wrote screenplays, some of which were sold; only one was made into a film. The television film Word of Honor (German: The Unknown Witness ) was made in 1980 under the direction of Mel Damski with Karl Malden as the main actor. The young John Malkovich played a supporting role . Ackles has taught at various schools in Southern California, at the Lehmann Engel Musical Theater Workshop and at the ARC School for Boys in Kathmandu . He was director of the Glendale Theater District and director of Musical Theater Studies at the University of Southern California . In 1997, he directed a performance of the Threepenny Opera, among other projects . From 1992 to 1999 he was the executive director of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives . In the early 1990s he was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his left lung removed. At the end of 1997 the disease flared up again and he died on March 2, 1999. He and his wife Janice Vogel had a son, George.

Works (selection)

Discography

Albums

  • 1968: David Ackles. Elektra Records
  • 1970: Subway to the Country. Elektra Records
  • 1972: American Gothic . Elektra Records
  • 1973: Five & Dime. Columbia Records

Singles

  • 1968: Down River . Elektra Records
  • 1968: The Road To Cairo. Elektra Records
  • 1969: About "Subway To The Country". Elektra Records
  • 1969: Subway To The Country . Elektra Records
  • 1969: Laissez Faire . Elektra Records
  • 1970: One Night Stand . Elektra Records
  • 1972: Oh, California. Elektra Records
  • 1972: Love's Enough . Elektra Records

Cover versions of other artists

  • Down river. Recorded by Spooky Tooth on The Last Puff album , 1970
  • The Road To Cairo . Recorded by Julie Driscoll , Brian Auger & The Trinity on the album Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity.
  • His name is Andrew. Martin Carthy on the album Landfall , 1971

Filmography

  • 1946: The Return of Rusty
  • 1947: The son of Rusty
  • 1948: My dog ​​Rusty
  • 1948: Rusty leads the way
  • 1949: Rusty saves a life
  • 1949: Rusty's birthday
  • 1966: Blood Bath
  • 1981: Word of Honor. Screenwriter

In 1968 Norsk rikskringkasting produced a TV special about David Ackles with the title David Ackles . In addition, his songs were used in the soundtracks of several films.

  • 2007: Yella . The song Road to Cairo was used

Musicals

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Mark Brend: David Ackles . In: American troubadours: groundbreaking singer-songwriters of the '60s . Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA 2001, ISBN 0-87930-641-6 , pp. 50 ff . (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  2. ↑ a b c d The Town Crier Brother and Sister Team seek Careers in Movieland . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois December 22, 1945, p. 9 (English, newspapers.com ).
  3. ^ Brian Mathieson: Biography. In: songsinger.info. 2013, accessed June 11, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Playcrafters Dinner Ackles David 19401213 . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois December 13, 1940, p. 10 ( newspapers.com ).
  5. ↑ Cast is selected for Senior Play . In: The Daily Times . Davenport, Iowa April 29, 1941, pp. 18 (English, newspapers.com ).
  6. ↑ Junior Woman's Club gives Fashion Tea as Annual Spring Project . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois May 19, 1941, p. 9 (English, newspapers.com ).
  7. ↑ Plays to be Presented on Thursday Night by Children's Drama Group . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois May 27, 1941, p. 8 (English, newspapers.com ).
  8. ^ Dance Program tonight at John Deere School . In: The Dispatch . Moline, Illinois June 9, 1941, pp. 5 (English, newspapers.com ).
  9. ↑ Legion Auxiliary Party . In: The Daily Times . Davenport, Iowa December 23, 1941, pp. 18 (English, newspapers.com ).
  10. ^ Ritualistic Work . In: The Daily Times . Davenport, Iowa March 18, 1942, p. 24 (English, newspapers.com ).
  11. ↑ Voice Pupils wants to give program at Sanatorium . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois August 9, 1943, p. 8 (English, newspapers.com ).
  12. ↑ Jaycee's Present 'Spotlight' review . In: The Daily Times . Davenport, Iowa April 13, 1945, p. 6 (English, newspapers.com ).
  13. ^ Belle Ayer: Film Fanfare . In: The Rock Island Argus . Rock Island, Illinois July 26, 1946, p. 12 (English, newspapers.com ).
  14. ↑ a b c d David Ackles. Retrieved June 11, 2020 .
  15. ^ Child Movie Dancers prepare for Spin . In: The Daily Times . Davenport, Iowa July 19, 1947, p. 12 (English, newspapers.com ).
  16. ^ Rusty's Birthday . In: The South Bend Tribune . South Bend, Indiana November 17, 1949, pp. 33 (English, newspapers.com ).
  17. ^ Poets select six winners . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California May 28, 1950, pp. 8 (English, newspapers.com /).
  18. ↑ Gerald Leishman United in Marriage with Sally Ackles . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California March 22, 1955, pp. 54 (English, newspapers.com ).
  19. ^ LA High to Present Music Shows . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California May 11, 1957, pp. 33 (English, newspapers.com ).
  20. ↑ Granada Hills Club sets' Gay Nineties . In: Valley Times . North Hollywood, California March 1, 1960, p. 7 (English, newspapers.com ).
  21. ↑ Folk Songs . In: Valley Times . North Hollywood, California April 12, 1962, pp. 12 (English, newspapers.com ).
  22. ↑ a b c d e Ackles, David . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California March 7, 1999, pp. 90 (English, newspapers.com ).
  23. ^ David Ackles: Natural Voice . In: Cash Box . Cash Box Pub. Co., New York August 23, 1969, pp. 28 (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  24. ↑ a b c Myrna Oliver: David Ackles: Singer and Songwriter . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California March 10, 1999, pp. 117 (English, newspapers.com ).
  25. ↑ Pete Johnson: Popular Records . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California July 7, 1968, p. 491 (English, newspapers.com ).
  26. ^ Jacques Vassal: Electric children: roots and branches of modern folk rock . Taplinger Pub. Co., New York 1976, p. 209 ff . (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  27. ^ Elton John and Bernie Taupin . In: Paul Gambaccini (Ed.): A Star Book . WH Allen & Co. Ltd, London 1975, ISBN 0-352-30058-2 , pp. 17 (English, Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  28. ^ A b Christopher Hawtree: David Ackles America in his time . In: The Guardian . London March 19, 1999, p. 18 (English).
  29. ^ College of Continuing Education . In: College of Continuing Education, (Ed.): The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California June 19, 1984, pp. 122 (English, newspapers.com /).
  30. ↑ a b WIDOW_ Charity helps Woman Stay in her home . In: The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California May 6, 1996, pp. 30 (English, newspapers.com ).
personal data
SURNAME Ackles, David
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ackles, David Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer-songwriter, pianist, college professor, and child actor
DATE OF BIRTH February 20, 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Rock Island , Illinois, United States
DATE OF DEATH March 2, 1999
Place of death Pasadena , California, United States