About Dave Bootle

The start of Dave’s story

In his late teens, Dave came to a fork in his career path. Having trained with Toronto’s York University Gymnastics team and trying out for the Canadian Olympic Squad, he had also been successful singing and entertaining at several local bars. He chose to make music and entertainment his priority.

Shortly after taking his solo show on the road, opportunity knocked again when he accepted an offer to act and perform for a theme park stunt-show, where his athlectic prowess and leadership saw him rise to the role of Stunt Director.

Whilst directing and performing down under, the evenings were left wide open for Dave to exercise his talents as a singer/songwriter and he produced a number of Aussie-written originals. Among those is a track entitled “Australia,” which his fans agree would make a fabulous tourism anthem.
Two years into his Australian experience, Dave was asked to audition for a singing/dancing role in the stage production of “Rock around the Clock”. He landed the lead role of Donny Doo and became Vocal Captain, responsible for the maintenance of the cast’s vocal well-being and tight harmonies.

becoming a Stunt man

Even though his first love was music, he couldn’t stay away from his gymnastics roots for long. He was soon hired as a stunt man for a Sydney based agency servicing television commercials as well as Australian and American film productions. His day job found him jumping from a 75-foot cliff into rough seas, falling through trap-doors (with a noose around his neck!), engaging in high-speed police chases or even setting himself on fire!

Coming from a strict gymnastics background, he excelled in stunt work and displayed the same professionalism he employs on any musical project.

Stunts or music

After four fun-packed years down under, a brush with death and the related injuries were enough to convince Dave to leave the stunt business and return to Canada, to focus solely on music, in late 1988.

His fans were glad he did and Dave took on music full time to perfect his professional repertoire, in Southern Ontario, Canada. He quickly became known for his big sound and antics on stage and ventured to write and produce his first album of original tracks. The result was an album with the title track “I’m in Trouble”, an eclectic collection of pop material that showcased Dave’s versatility as a writer, vocalist, musician and producer.

Following a number of local TV appearances around this time, Dave gave a charitable performance for the annual Terry Fox Run. The outdoor venue was packed with approximately 10,000 people participating in the festivities and the ‘Run for Cancer’. This was followed by several months of club bookings all over Southern Ontario, promoting his music.

bermuda then on to key west

Dave was invited for a season in Bermuda that actually lasted an incredible 20 years! From house band at “The Cock & Feather” to the headline act at “Henry VIII Pub and Restaurant,” he delighted an international audience and still travels to entertain many of these fans, in all corners of the globe, by private invitation.

Dave now makes his home in Key West, Florida where he shares his unique and ever-expanding performing style with yet another international group of tourists and locals alike. He spends his summers in the UK, with his fiancée Karen, where his reputation and fan base also continues to grow.

Dave Bootle possesses a killer comic presence, a versatile, range and an appealing voice. His big sound is meticulously crafted by Dave personally and his intricate background sequences are envied by his peers, and greatly appreciated by his audiences. These are just some of the reasons for Dave’s enduring popularity.

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