David Uosikkinen
| David Uosikkinen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Uosikkinen |
| Born |
February 11, 1956 Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | The Hooters |
| Website | http://www.daveuosikkinen.com/ |
David Uosikkinen (born February 11, 1956 in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is an American drummer and Internet content manager, best known for being a founding member of rock band The Hooters.
Early life
Uosikkinen grew up in Levittown, Pennsylvania and at eight years old, he took up the trumpet. His father regularly took him to see jazz bands at the Lambertville Music Circus and after he saw The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, Uosikkinen realized that music and being in a band was what he wanted to pursue with his life. He eventually turned to the drums when a neighbor let him play on his new set.
He graduated from Woodrow Wilson (now Harry S. Truman) High School in 1974, where he participated in gymnastics. After high school, Uosikkinen played in a number of Philadelphia area bands, including The Kooks, The Torpedoes, Hot Property and Youth Camp.
Uosikkinen's parents are both immigrants from Finland.
Tenure with The Hooters
In 1980, Uosikkinen joined Philadelphia musicians Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian when they decided to try something new by combining reggae, ska, and rock'n'roll to create The Hooters.
Nervous Night, The Hooters' 1985 debut on Columbia Records, sold in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (#18), "And We Danced" (#21) and "Where Do The Children Go" (#38).
After releasing six albums, The Hooters obtained a large global following throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, they were asked to open three major musical events of the late 20th century: Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985, Amnesty International Concert at Giants Stadium in 1986, and Roger Waters' The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990. In 1995, The Hooters went on hiatus.
Uosikkinen reunited with The Hooters on successful headlining European summer tours in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2007 saw the release of Time Stand Still, their first album of new material since 1993.
Other musical projects
When Uosikkinen has not worked with The Hooters, he has performed in music videos, recordings and live shows with numerous artists, including Patty Smyth, Cyndi Lauper, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Largo (Taj Mahal, Joan Osborne, David Forman, Garth Hudson, Bill Wittman), The Soul Kitchen, Tahir Wilson, Pretty Poison, Damian Hagger, Happy Hatters and 7A3.
In 1994, Uosikkinen and entrepreneur, Dave Macrae, launched an independent record label called Moskeeto Records.
In 2010 David began his project, In The Pocket: Essential Songs of Philadelphia creating a fund raising campaign for the Settlement Music School. To date, In The Pocket is recording the Essential Songs Of Philadelphia. The first two songs are "All My Mondays" originally recorded by Youth Camp and "Open My Eyes," a Todd Rundgren/Nazz classic. Documentary music videos are being created for the project by Steve Acito of Bluewire Media. Songs can be downloaded at songsinthepocket.org and on iTunes. More info on the project can be found at songsinthepocket.org. Others working on the project include: Eric Bazilian - The Hooters, Richard Bush - The A's/The Peace Creeps, Greg Davis - Beru Revue, Rick DiFonzo - Roger Waters/Patty Smythe/ The A's, Jeffrey Gaines - singer/songwriter, Rob Hyman - The Hooters, William Wittman - Too Much Joy/Cyndi Lauper.
Career in technology
In 1999, Uosikkinen was asked to join a group of technology experts and music aficionados who created an online music portal, MP3.com, which subsequently changed the music industry's distribution and consumer listening habits.
In 2005, Uosikkinen took a position at another technology company, MP3tunes, a Music Service Provider (MSP) and originator of Oboe, a system that allowed unlimited online storage for users. In 2006, he went on to manage content for VMix, a site that featured music videos and other compositions by film makers in various genres.
Currently, when not touring or recording with The Hooters, Uosikkinen works at 6StringMedia, a web development and marketing company.
In January 2009, Uosikkinen launched Dave U Drums, an internet service where musicians send him an outline of a song, pay a recording fee, and Uosikkinen will deliver a finished drum track within 72 hours.
Personal life
Uosikkinen moved to California in 1991, initially to Los Angeles before moving to San Diego. He moved back to Philadelphia in 2009 where he resides with his fiancee, Dallyn Pavey. He has one son, Sam, who was born in 1990.
External links
- David Uosikkinen official website
- Dave U Drums
- Songs In The Pocket