How Life Spirited Me From Mennonite To Man O' Night - Eicher, David 'beck'
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David 'Beck' Eicher's biography takes place over a thirty-year period of events from the sublime to the down-right raunchy. Coming from the intense confines of a very puritanical religion (Mennonite) and going to the major league inner music circles of both rock and classical, Eicher writes an honest and open account of his life. He takes us behind the scenes of the 70's music culture. Eicher played keyboard with the iconic band, Ram Jam (who can forget Whoa-Black Betty bam-a-lam?) and has many stories from touring with the band and the sex, drugs and rock and roll life it entailed. Around the…mehr

Produktbeschreibung
David 'Beck' Eicher's biography takes place over a thirty-year period of events from the sublime to the down-right raunchy. Coming from the intense confines of a very puritanical religion (Mennonite) and going to the major league inner music circles of both rock and classical, Eicher writes an honest and open account of his life. He takes us behind the scenes of the 70's music culture. Eicher played keyboard with the iconic band, Ram Jam (who can forget Whoa-Black Betty bam-a-lam?) and has many stories from touring with the band and the sex, drugs and rock and roll life it entailed. Around the same time, Eicher, worked with Rex Smith, who he had met in a heavily backed rock project in Florida along with an impressive band around him, and for a while Rex became the hottest teen idol in the world, and was an equally charismatic and mesmerizing personality in real life. He exploded onto the celebrity scene with his film Sooner or Later, sending fans into a Beatle-mania like frenzy, and right there with him was his friend, now known as David Beck. David 'Beck' Eicher made friends easily and is a life-long friend of Stephanie Lamotta, who herself, is a storied lady, with many famous people as her intimate friends. Moving to New York and immersing himself in the nightlife of Max's Kansas City, and especially CBGB, he rubbed shoulders with the makers and shakers of the music industry and to famous purveyors of porno, describing his meeting with several porn stars as really nice and fun - although quite saucy. Also producing huge uptown variety shows with famous drag queens and strippers, catering for celebs, he has definitely seen both sides of the celebrity coin. His book is compelling it his wild and fun ride through a young life, naming many stars of the time
Autorenporträt
David (Beck) Eicher was born in Sarasota, Florida, into a Mennonite celery farming family that had its roots back to Alsace/Lorraine, thus his surname has both Swiss and French pronunciations. He showed early musical aptitude even when a toddler, so his parents bought a piano, which he started studying at 5 years old. Later he studied with the well known master teacher, Gray Perry, who had studied with Isidore Phillipe. He also studied with the astounding Australian pianist Vina Barnden, who had studied with Benno Moiseiwitsch, and Gina Bachauer, concentrating on the composer Rachmaninoff, and his illustrious piano music. On both sides his direct musical lineage goes back to Liszt and Beethoven. His senior year in high school was capped with the largest ever tour of Europe and the UK by a high school music group, the Riverview High School Kiltie band, with which he was the principal bagpiper, as well as the principal bassoonist. Funding for this tour was supported by Berlin's Mayor Willie Brandt, the producers and actors of the James Bond Series of movies, and Mrs. Georgina MacKinnon of Drambouie. He excelled on bassoon, and that led to him playing professionally for many years in many different symphony orchestras as the principal bassoonist. He did his principal studies with Walter Hegner, of the Paul Whiteman Band, and also Sol Schoenbach. His earlier college years paralleled the tumultuous times of the Vietnam War, and he was involved with the Civil Rights Movement. In his sophomore year he won the largest national prize for Manatee Community College, in piano, the Collegiate Artists Competition over all of the upper class entrees. He did finishing piano studies with Ivan Davis, a prized student of Vladimir Horowitz, and also became his assistant when he played important concerts. His interest was piqued in getting involved in synthesizers, and this led to him recording in 7 major recording labels, as well as playing Carnegie Hall with the Kronus Quartet, and at one time being the House Synthesizer Recording Artist for the famed Hit Factory. He was an important player in the acclaimed 1970s music scene in NYC. He has played and toured with several major bands of the mid to late 1970s, Ram Jam with their famous song, "Whoa Black Betty Bam-Ba-Lam," and also touring with the teen idol Rex Smith, with his hit song "You Take My Breath Away," from the movie, Sooner Or Later. With his girlfriend he produced shows in large nightclub venues in NYC, like Studio 54, and Magique, as well as touring with the shows, along with the actor/comedian, Sinbad. One of his bands is represented on the CBGB live album, so his musical career is one of great diversity, from rock to classical. He is also a high end chef, catering to many celebrities, with his talent for multi-ethnic cooking with a specialty in Asian Cooking. He cooked for a party for the VMA Awards one year in Miami. After spending time taking care of his aging mother, his biggest fan, back in Sarasota, as she has passed, now he is again footloose to pursue his careers as a musician, chef, and now as a writer.