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David LaFlamme

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David Gordon LaFlamme (May 4, 1941 – August 6, 2023) was an American singer and violinist best known for co-founding the San Francisco band It's a Beautiful Day.

Life and career

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LaFlamme was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on May 4, 1941.[1] His mother was from a Mormon family in Salt Lake City, and when he was eight years old, the family moved there to be near her family. LaFlamme had been studying violin since moving to Los Angeles at age five, and in Salt Lake City he won a competition to perform as soloist with the Utah Symphony Orchestra.

After briefly serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to the music scene in San Francisco in 1962. During the 1960s he performed with a wide variety of notable San Francisco acts, such as Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin. He helped create the band Electric Chamber Orkustra, and later, an early version of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. Then in summer 1967 he and his wife Linda LaFlamme formed It's a Beautiful Day. The group's eponymous LP was released by Columbia Records in 1969, containing their biggest hit, "White Bird". The album was produced by David LaFlamme.

The group's second album, Marrying Maiden, was released the following year. It was their most successful on the charts, reaching number 28 in the U.S. and number 45 in the U.K. After two additional albums, Choice Quality Stuff/Anytime and Live at Carnegie Hall, LaFlamme left the group in 1972 over disputes regarding the direction and management of the band.

For a time he performed with the groups Edge City and Love Gun in the Bay Area before going solo. In 1976, he released the album White Bird on Amherst Records. His remake of the song "White Bird" cracked the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 89 that same year. This was followed by the album Inside Out in 1978, also on Amherst Records. Both project releases were co-produced by David LaFlamme and Mitchell Froom.

After years of legal wrangling over ownership of the band's name, LaFlamme resumed formal use of It's a Beautiful Day when former manager Matthew Katz let the trademark of the name go unrenewed. From 2000, he performed with the reconstituted band, which included his third wife, Linda Baker LaFlamme, and original drummer Val Fuentes. He also contributed to Jefferson Starship's 2008 release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty.

LaFlamme also appeared on the television shows Frasier, Ellen, and Wings, as a strolling violinist who stands right at the table in a restaurant, playing loudly or annoyingly.

In later years, LaFlamme suffered from Parkinson's disease. He died in Santa Rosa, California on August 6, 2023, at the age of 82.[2][3]

Discography

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With It's a Beautiful Day

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  • It's a Beautiful Day (Columbia Records, 1969) US Album Chart No. 47 / UK Album Chart No. 58 / US: Gold[4]
  • Marrying Maiden (Columbia Records, 1970) US Album Chart No. 28 / UK Album Chart No. 45
  • Choice Quality Stuff / Anytime (Columbia Records, 1971) US Album Chart No. 130
  • At Carnegie Hall (Live) (Columbia Records, 1972) US Album Chart No. 144
  • A Thousand And One Nights (Compilation) (CBS Records, 1973)
  • Creed of Love (Live at the Fillmore West in 1971) (It's About Music, Strawberry Records, 1998)
  • The Columbia Years 1969-1973 (Compilation Box Set) (Muskrat Records, 2008)
  • Live at the Fillmore '68 (Live) (Classic Music Vault, 2013), with DVD The David LaFlamme Story

Solo albums

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  • White Bird (Amherst Records, 1976)
  • Inside Out (Amherst Records, 1978)
  • Workin' the Gold Mine (Live) (It's About Music, Classic Music Vault, 2000)
  • Beyond Dreams (Repertoire Records, Classic Music Vault, 2003)
  • Hot Summer Days - San Francisco Nights (Non-labeled, 2004)
  • Live in Seattle (Live) (It's About Music, 2004)
  • Misery Loves Company (It's About Music, 2005)

References

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  1. ^ Williams, Alex (August 26, 2023). "David LaFlamme, Whose 'White Bird' Captured a 1960s Dream, Dies at 82". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Tamarkin, Jeff (August 8, 2023). "David LaFlamme, Leader of San Francisco's It's a Beautiful Day, Dies". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  3. ^ Murphy, Brian (August 10, 2023). "David LaFlamme, violin innovator of 1960s with 'White Bird,' dies at 82". Washington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved August 13, 2018.

Sources

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