August 26: Dan Vickrey guitarist for Counting Crows is 47-years-old today.

Dan Vickrey was taught to play the guitar by his father when he was about 11 years old. his biggest influences came from his family's and neighbor's collection of vinyl LP, including Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bee Gee's and The Beatles. He also spent time at a local guitar shop where a music teacher introduced him to early Eric Clapton recordings.

Meanwhile the Counting Crows formed in San Francisco in 1991 first as an acoustic duo. About that time, Vickrey played with different bands, wrote songs while attending UCLA and played his own compositions with an acoustic guitar, in local coffee houses and other small venues. After graduation, he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, and was introduced to bass guitarist Charles Gillingham of the Counting Crows by a mutual friend. Being a fan, Vickrey said he would like to join the group if there ever was an opening for a guitarist.

In late 1993, Vickrey was asked to join after the release of their first album, August and Everything After, when the band felt they needed a new lead guitarist. Vickrey joined the band as a guitarist and providing harmony and backing vocals - one of the trademarks of the band's sound. He has performed on every album and tour since that time.

The band took its name from a divination rhyme about the crow, heard by lead singer Adam Duritz in the film Signs of Life. The rhyme begins the third verse of the song "A Murder of One" on the album August and Everything After : "Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows..."

As co-writer of a number of hit songs with Counting Crows, Vickrey has distinguished himself as a nominee for a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, an Oscar, and was a winner of an award from BMI for co-writing the song, "Accidentally in Love."

Press link below to view You Tube videos:

-- "Colorblind"

 

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For more about the Counting Crows, visit this Website:

http://www.countingcrows.com/


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