David Defeis
| David DeFeis | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David DeFeis |
| Also known as | David "The Lion" DeFeis, David "Dionysus" DeFeis |
| Born | January 4, 1961 (age 55) |
| Origin | Long Island, New York, United States |
| Genres | Heavy metal, Power metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboard, bass, percussion |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Associated acts | Virgin Steele, Avantasia |
| Website | www.virgin-steele.com |
David DeFeis (born January 4, 1961) is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.
DeFeis is a classically trained pianist, with a bachelor's degree in composition from S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook. As vocalist he is self-taught, possessing around three octaves and a half : (Bb1-)E2-C#6(-B6). As a musician and a singer, he declared he was very much influenced by guitar players like Jimmy Page, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen because he wanted to do with his voice what they did with their guitars.
He is also influenced by rock singers like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan.
The major part of the lyrics DeFeis writes are mythological, dealing with subjects from especially Greek mythology, Sumerian mythology and Christian religion. All of them are based on real life in some form or another.
DeFeis comes from a theatrical family: his father is a Shakespearian actor who runs the theatre company "The Arena Players Theatre" while his sister Doreen is a gifted opera singer who performs all over Europe.
A big fan of European classical music, at 9–10 years old he was introduced to rock music by hearing the band Stalk, with his brother Damon (on organ and piano) and his sister Danae (on vocals), playing in the basement beneath his room.
He began piano lessons at the age of eight. By age eleven, he began his career with Long Island's local heavy metal band Phoenix.
At 16 years old, he met for the first time his future partner Edward Pursino when DeFeis's band at the time, Mountain Ash, was auditioning for a gig at the high school dance. Mountain Ash was mainly a Black Sabbath cover band and, after the performance of the song "War Pigs", Pursino came over and introduced himself to DeFeis.
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