Few music entertainers from North Carolina have accomplished more than Dave Moody. As the driving force behind The Moody Brothers, Dave has led the family band to national recognition and international acclaim. Along the way, the group earned two Grammy Award Nominations and three International CMA Awards as this trio of brothers took their Carolina based folk, gospel and rocking country music to audiences around the world. The Moodys have performed often at such distinguished venues as the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, TN, the White House in Washington, DC, Wembly Arena in London, England and Disneyland Paris in France, where they performed for over twenty million guests from 1992 to 1998.
But since 2002, Dave's accomplishments as a solo artist, producer, and songwriter has been equally impressive. Winning two GMA Dove Awards (the Christian Music Grammys) in 2005 and 2006, and earning 15 other Gospel Music Association Dove nominations for his music, Dave has emerged as a major Christian music industry professional. His wins and nominations as artist, producer and songwriter have placed him in good company when you consider some of the past Dove Award winners in the categories he's been recognized, such as Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, Andraé Crouch, Alison Kraus, Randy Travis, Chris Tomlin, Ricky Skaggs, Shirley Caeser, Colin Ray, George Jones, Charlie Daniels, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Oak Ridge Boys, David Crowder Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, and others.
Now, Dave has turned some of his attention to directing motion pictures and scoring music for film/television. His first endeavor into movies was to write and score the musical motion picture Stuck In The Past produced by Uplifting Entertainment. In the summer of 2007, he and his son Josh, started Elevating Entertainment, producing and directing their first family Christian motion picture, Praise Band, based on a story they had written. Now Dave's music for television credits are starting to grow as well, having written and produced the theme songs for two new television series, Robbins Nest and Kid Fit, both on TBN.
EARLY YEARS
All the Moodys got their start in the music business during the early ‘70s, singing country and gospel music on their parents’ local television show in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dave made his first public appearance at age 4. Their father Dwight L. Moody, Jr. was a fiddle playing Methodist Minister and their mother Katherine Lucille both taught their sons to play many instruments. “Music was everywhere in my family,” Dave says. “It was our life and livelihood.”
At 16, Dave led a folk band that performed at major festivals and theme parks throughout the Carolinas, including Carowinds and Tweetsie Railroad. While attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, he developed an educational program for elementary age audiences that taught American history through folk music at schools throughout the state. After college, he taught US History at Independence High School in Charlotte for several years.
But Dave’s teaching career would be cut short as The Moody Brothers began performing widely throughout the Carolinas and recording a series of country music albums for Lamon Records. Their third album, Cotton Eyed Joe, sliced through massive competition in 1985 to win a Grammy Award Nomination for “Best Country Instrumental Performance.”
Suddenly the Moodys were the talk of Nashville and the entire music industry, being nominated in the same category with country giants Chet Atkins, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson and the Whites. “It was the phone call that changed our lives,” remembers Dave. On the heals of their nomination, the Moodys begin making guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and performing in Europe at music festivals in Switzerland, England, Poland, Italy and Czechoslovakia. Four years later, The Moody Brothers received their second Grammy Award Nomination for an album cut entitled The Great Train Song Medley.
By then, the brothers had truly made a name for themselves in Europe. In 1986, the globe-trotting Moodys scored an International Country Music Award nomination as “Most Promising International Act.” (Note: The International Country Music Awards are voted on by readers of twelve country music magazines from different countries in Europe.) Then, they promptly lived up to that promise by being named ICMA’s “Most Popular International Trio” for the next three years, winning over the Gatlin Brothers, the Whites, and the trio of Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris.
In 1988, The Moody Brothers traveled again to Czechoslovakia, this time to record the album Friends with the popular Czech group Country Beat. Almost three years prior to the unification of Europe, this was the first time that an American country group had been asked to record an album in a Soviet-bloc country. This historic album was co-released by Supraphon Records throughout Eastern Europe and Lamon Records International in the US and Western Europe. Friends went on to earn a Gold Disc Award for selling more than 200,000 copies and also earned The Moody Brothers and the project’s engineers and producers Golden Reel Awards from the Ampex Corporation - a first for a Czechoslovakian record release.
Closer to home, The Moody Brothers served as national spokesmen for the “Take Pride In America” campaign from 1987 to 1992. With their involvement in this public awareness effort, they performed twice at the White House - once for President Ronald Reagan and again for President George Bush, who had utilized the Moodys’ talents frequently during his 1988 Presidential campaign. They made regular guest appearances on TNN, PBS and other nationally televised programs.
In 1992, once again Europe became The Moody Brothers’ focus, as Dave and his brothers moved their entire families to France to open Disneyland Paris as part of the cast of the immensely popular Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. The Moodys worked with Oscar nominated music composer George Fenton (Gandhi, Cry Freedom, The Fisher King, Groundhog Day, Dangerous Liaisons, Multiplicity, Ghostbusters III, You’ve Got Mail) as together they developed authentic American folk themes to use as part of the musical entertainment of the show. In addition, the brothers also perform their own nightly headline concert series to “standing room only” crowds at Disney Village. From 1992 until 1998, The Moody Brothers performed for over twenty million guests! And the shows still continue...
In 1994, the Moodys were featured artist on the very popular compilation CD Country Music for Families released throughout Europe on Disneyland Records. In 1995, they were included on another very popular country music compilation CD entitled Country Express which was released throughout Russia, the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries. On this record, The Moody Brothers were featured with Nashville recording artists Tim McGraw, Wynonnia, Sawyer Brown, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr, and others.
In 1997, Sound and Media (part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group of Companies) released a collection of The Moody Brothers’ music entitled The Line Dance Album. The timing of this release was perfect has the American line dance phenomenon had just reached the British audience. The next year, The Line Dance Album II was released along with a four CD box set The Line Dance Collection which featured seventy tracks by the Moodys. This dance series earned The Moody Brothers another Gold Disc Award with sales in the United Kingdom reaching over 100,000 units in 2001. In the summer of 1999, Word Records (UK) released six tracks featuring George Hamilton IV with The Moody Brothers.
CHANGING FOCUS
In 2001, Dave began to focus on his life and the direction he was heading. Having accepted several temporary opportunities to lead worship at churches in Charlotte and Atlanta in preceeding years, he started Word On The Street Ministries, using music to reach people with the message of God's love. Dave continues to lead teams of musicianaries to Spain, France, Belguim, England, Italy and eleswhere each summer through Word On The Street.
With his re-newed focus, came the growth of Lamon Records (the Moody's family label since 1962) and Dave's industry profile, as they begin to develop and support other Christian and Americana artists to reach their musical goals. This led to the label's raise in the industry, earning numerous Dove Award nominations and wins for their artists, songwriters and producers. This culminated in 2007, with the label's eight category nominations for fifteen of their artists, include Dave's six nominations, where he joined Chris Tomlin and Jars of Clay as the night's most nominated.
"God has truly blessed my life," reflects Dave. "At every step of my career, when one door seemed to be closing, another opportunity would present itself. I love singing and playing music! I'm very interested in directing more motion pictures, which comes from my desire to create positive faith-based entertainment. My wife Susan has been such a strong encourager, and now, when my son and daughter join me on stage or on set, I know God has truly led me to this point in my life - opening and closing doors at every turn."
The new millennium has brought a number of opportunities for Dave to share his music and creative talents with others. Now, with his recent move to Nashville, and the movie Praise Band scheduled for release in 2008, and other music and film projects in the pipeline, look for many more exciting things to come from this talented artist, producer, songwriter, arranger and filmmaker.
Dave Moody is a modern day troubadour with a positive story to share! "Music is a great communicator…" says Dave. "… a bridge builder in this modern world of walls. Here's to more music! More positive stories being told! And more bridges being built!"
