Dana Colley

Dana Colley
Dana Colley performing with Vapors of Morphine in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2014)
Background information
Born	(1961-10-17) October 17, 1961 (age 55) Portland, Maine, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, blues-rock, indie rock, post-punk
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, harmonica, triangle
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Rykodisc, Dreamworks Records, Hi-n-Dry
Associated acts	Three Colors, Morphine, Orchestra Morphine, Twinemen, A.K.A.C.O.D., Vapors of Morphine

Dana Colley (born October 17, 1961 in Portland, Maine) is an American musician, best known as the baritone and tenor saxophonist in the alternative rock band Morphine.

Colley was born in Portland, Maine, but he was raised in Hanson, Massachusetts, where he took up the clarinet in the 4th grade, switching to tenor sax in 7th. He picked up the baritone sax in 1984.

Colley originally appeared in the Boston, Massachusetts indie rock scene playing with the group Three Colors, a post-punk band formed in 1981 whom he joined in 1985. While Colley established himself as primarily a saxophonist, he also played harmonica with the group. After modest success behind several small-run records and a brief relocation to Princeton, New Jersey, the group disbanded in late 1988.

In 1989, Colley co-founded the dark-spirited band Morphine with front-man Mark Sandman of Boston-based Treat Her Right. The two were joined by drummer Jerome Deupree and quickly garnered a local following. Their debut album, 1992's Good, was picked up by the Rykodisc label in 1993, and the band embarked on extensive, successful touring.

Shortly thereafter, Treat Her Right drummer Billy Conway replaced Deupree, who was suffering from health problems. Following two more albums with Rykodisc, the band signed with the major label DreamWorks Records in 1996. They scored a minor MTV hit with "Early to Bed" from 1997's Like Swimming, and continued to enjoy local and international success, particularly in Europe. In 1999, Sandman died unexpectedly of a heart attack while onstage in Italy, bringing the band to an abrupt end.