Nashville native Daniel Donato became aware of the guitar by playing “Guitar Hero.” After hearing Guns ‘N Roses, he wanted to play for real, and by the time he was 16, he was busking outside Phish and John Mayer shows, and handing his card to the bandsmen.
One night, he sneaked in to listen to the Don Kelley Band, who made him cry with their talent. He says:
“I decided right then that I wanted to be the best guitar player in the world.”
His dream came true when the Kelley outfit called him to audition. He was so good he wound up playing with them four nights a week for over 450 shows. His experience there gave him valuable information about the music business, as well as life lessons about performing. He was able to show all his knowledge in his album, “A Young Man’s Country,” which dropped in 2020. A review says:
Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country at the Troubadour is scheduled for January 19. The famed club is in West Hollywood, and general admission tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 on the day of the show. When shows like this are scheduled, organizers can use flyer printing to create advertising handouts.