Lisa of the Bands: Meet Lisa McDavid the 6 Band Sensation
By Lacrystele Brown
FWIS Contributing Writer
Lisa McDavid was born and raised in northeast Ohio in Youngstown, a city between Akron and Cleveland. McDavid was a member of the Pentecostal Church called The Church of God and Christ, but she also attended Catholic schools her entire life and because of this she was able to grow up with a diverse understanding of music and singing. She expressed how having the two different dynamics of religion and service to God through music was great in training for her future career in singing.
McDavid would go on to join the junior choir and then the adult choir once she turned 13. At the age of 17 years old McDavid began to take vocal lessons from her kindergarten teacher’s husband. At this time, she would also start musical theater. McDavid was doing so well in musical theater at school that her drama coach encouraged her to get involved in community theater as well. Little Shop of Horrors would be the first big show that McDavid was cast in while in community theater.
Excelling in the art of music theater, McDavid would go on to receive a Musical Theater Scholarship to Youngstown State University. After studying under her scholarship for a year McDavid decided to switch her field of study to psychology, as that was where her heart was. However, as McDavid got older, she wished that she had understood the opportunities she would have gotten if she had continued to study musical theater in college. These opportunities could have included parts in animated films, voice over work and more. McDavid reflected on how she didn’t know these opportunities were available, so her thinking was to be in music you had to sing like Mariah or Whitney or be in the opera. Her voice at that time was not mature enough for the opera and classical music, though she was able to sing it, she didn’t really have the range she felt was needed to succeed at that time. Now, that she is older, and her voice has matured McDavid is able to sing classical music the way she wants and she’s also able to sing in the range of Chaka Khan and other strong singers.
Since the age of 12 McDavid has constantly been learning new things about her voice. One of her favorite roles she played at the age of 19 in the Youngstown Playhouse was Lorrell in Dream Girls. She really connected with her character and found that they had many things in common. She felt the same about her costars and their roles. This made the play an amazing show for both them and the audience. It was almost as though they were playing themselves. The three women bonded so well they decided to become a group themselves. The group was called Sassé.
The three of them sang so well and did so great as a group that they could see themselves as the next En Vouge. The trio had hopes of one day getting a record deal, and though she loved performing and being in the group, McDavid never fell away from her studies or slacked off. She always made sure that it was known she would not be leaving school until she was done with her degree. The group stayed together and continued to perform until one of the members became pregnant. It was at that point that they decided to end the group.
Another role McDavid enjoyed playing was Dorothy from The Wiz. She was able to play this role twice both in Youngstown and once she moved here to Fort Wayne, IN. The play was featured at the Civic Theatre.
McDavid moved to the city of Fort Wayne, IN in 1995 after her father got her a job at the local GM. She went on to finish her degree and not only continue to work at GM, but also at Michiana College as a teacher. She then decided she wanted to get her master’s degree and she did just that. McDavid got her Master’s in Counseling Psychology. During the time McDavid was going to school for her master’s she was still working at GM but she also worked at Park Center and Parkview Behavioral Health.
In 2007 McDavid and a group of her coworkers at GM decided to put together an R&B, Soul and Rock band. The band was called Urban Legend. This would start McDavid’s career singing in bands. The band played Vera Bradley to initiate Turn The Town Pink and the following week they would play at a benefit that Vera Bradley holds, the band also played several corporate events for others. When members would leave the band they would recruit or audition for new members to join. The bands last show was about 3 years ago after which everyone decided to go their own ways and explore new avenues.
While in the band Urban Legend, McDavid welcomed her son in 2011. McDavid sang throughout her entire pregnancy and even took vocal lessons to learn how to sing properly while pregnant. She also stopped counseling while she was pregnant.
After having her son McDavid joined a second band called The Fort Wayne Funk Orchestra. The band is a Funk, R&B, Hip-Hop band. Last year they graced the 3 Rivers stage opening for CeeLo Green. The band also plays at corporate events, weddings, and holiday events. The play songs from artist like Biggie Smalls, Rick James, and Dr. Dre.
McDavid is also in the band, The Sweetwater Allstars. She is the lead singer in both The Sweetwater Allstars and The Fort Wayne Funk Orchestra. While McDavid is the only lead singer in The Sweetwater Allstars, 4 other members of the band are also singers. However, in the future the band would like to bring on some backup singers to help with the heavy background vocals. That way McDavid doesn’t have to work so hard.
McDavid informed me that she is currently in 6 bands. The Fort Wayne Funk Orchestra, The Sweetwater Allstars, The Lisa McDavid Duo, Pink Droyd which is a Pink Floyd tribute band, they sing all Pink Floyd music, they will be performing at the Fort Wayne Embassy in March for the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon album. McDavid also sings in an all-women’s band called L80’s night and they sing all music from the 80’s such as Salt-N-Pepa and Tina Turner. The last band McDavid is in is U.R.B. and they perform Reggae, Rock, and R&B.
McDavid remembered when she auditioned for The Sweetwater Allstars she was asked to sing a selected song Respect by Aretha Franklin and they let her know she could switch the tone to one she is more comfortable with so she sung in the tone Aretha used and blew the audition away.
I was curious how McDavid keeps up with her schedule in 6 different bands and she let me know that her 360 planner keeps her on track. She has different stickers for each band and she does great with keeping her band members updated when it comes to events, that way she doesn’t have any double bookings and when she does they are able to plan accordingly. McDavid currently only plays in bands and plans to keep doing that and focusing on herself, her craft and her son, who is also a musician. For booking inquiries you can reach out to the bands on their Facebook page or a member you may know.