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| David Gabriel |
I was shocked and saddened to learn that he died 5 years ago at the age of 53.
I found David through the Music Connection in Los Angeles in the mid-90s, and I studied with him until I left Los Angeles in 2000, visiting his office at Hollywood and Vine once a week. We fell out of touch then, in that early pre-internet-for-everything time.
David was a fantastic teacher, with the perfect mix of kindness, patience, and mastery. He helped me understand what my voice was capable of (4 octaves!), and how to use it in an expressive, flexible, and sustainable way.
Before I started studying with David, I couldn't sing very long or very hard, and I wasn't even sure if I had a good voice or if I should be singing at all. David took me seriously starting from my first lesson. He was understanding of how sensitive people can be around their singing voices. He always made me feel like I could do it, and that the keys were practicing and understanding what your voice could do.
By the time I left, I knew that I had the technical skills and tools to sing at my own full capacity, and that the remaining barriers were stylistic and expressive. I may not have known exactly who I was as a singer, or how to make people feel something when I sang, but I knew I could do it, and was confident enough in my abilities to be able to tell people "I am a singer."
Over the years I studied with him, we got to know each other better and learned more about our respective lives, including the various tough times we both went through. David was a fairly private person, but he loved talking about his kids. It was years before he told me some of the other people he coached, perhaps most notably Axl Rose, but including a surprising number of other professional musicians across a wide range of genres. David was both modest about his work and protective of his other students' privacy. He also let me know that they weren't any better or worse than any of his other students. They all had challenges, problems, insecurities, and vocal things to work on.
If my singing is any good at all, it is because of the tools and training he gave me, and how those allowed me to perform and study on my own.
Thank you for the voice, David. I use it every day. I only wish you were still around to hear what I have been doing with it.
4 comments:
I read your post and it made me cry out! I was literally wailing because as I read your post, it was as if I had been the one to write it! I totally empathize!
David Gabriel did so much for my confidence and of course my range!!
He was exactly as you described him and more! I never forgot his teachings and what he would always instill in me as a female singer. He told me never to sell myself but only let my voice speak for itself! "Your talent comes from your voice not from your body! So I don't ever want to see you half naked up on stage like some women (singers), or else I will give you a piece of my mind!" He helped me be smart with handling all the pressures of the Rock/Metal scene and I always told him he was my guardian Angel (Angel Gabriel). He was very respectful and would walk me to my vehicle to make sure I was safe (in Hollyweird). I'm so sad by the news! I too found your post wondering what ever happened to this wonderful teacher?
I am now a vocal trainer and a lot of what I teach I owe to David Gabriel. May God bless him and may he be singing in heaven now!!!
He trained me since I was a kid for Alice Cooper's junk. He knew how much I loved Dio's voice. I would make him go through his songs. He was friends with one of Dio's musicians at the time. I knew another. We met up at a dio show in 96. Funny story. We go backstage at this tiny nightclub. I drank some beer. I asked where is a bathroom back here. They point me upstairs. I open the door it's Ronnie maybe wendy. I opted to just go home instead. The bathroom was a tiny restroom with a fan in the door wide open. I think I left all of them. David asked me to tell him when I did shows to show up. Unfortunately I was never comfortable enough to tell David what Alices people did to me. I found it bizarre David said nothing while they attacked me online. It is possible he didn't hear about it. Then he moved during it out of state. I did not know about. I knew David from 1992-around 2000. I went to the Hollywood and vine, but prior was a house down the way from that. After the vine place I went to his house in san dimas. Only a few times. Must be between 2000-01. I know he didn't know about Alice thing. They are liars. David knew me the entire time dealing with them.
David was a great guy. Never hit on me. I personally never told people my personal stuff. He was more like friend dad type. Yes, walked me to my car. I had a tank of pets. He liked pets too. I was close to possibly getting interest in 99. But Alice's team destroyed my career. David was a huge part in molding my voice. Not a lot of female rock singers that were doing this at the time we met. Funny thing I did not want David as my coach originally. I saw the lady he studied under but she was booked and more expensive. They set up a time with David. Glad they did. I stayed with him the whole time.
I only recently found out he passed. Very shocking to me. I was going to call him. I don't know what happened but good people leave early. Terrible humans are still here in this industry. Crazy because a lot of people knew David yet never mentioned he died????? All fake. Don't get me started on the gnr camp preyed on me after I met David as a kid. Not things I would tell David. Now I would as an older adult.
I'm a former student too. All has been lost a 🔥 fire. So I would give just about anything for 1 of David's old lesson tapes
I can be reached at s.mariebohri@gmail.com
He is partly still alive (in the flesh!) His last act of love.. he gave his eyes to a blind girl
That's different from organs. Because the eyes are a part of the brain
What I would give to meet the girl!
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