About Dave Bootle

The start of Dave’s story

In his late teens, Dave came to a fork in career path; having trained with Toronto’s York University Gymnastics team and been given the opportunity to try out for the Canadian Olympic Squad, he had also been successful singing and playing piano, on stage, at several local bars. He chose to make music and entertainment his priority.

Shortly after taking his solo show on the road, opportunity knocked once again when he accepted an offer to be an actor/stunt performer for a theme park stunt show, and in just two seasons his leadership and athletic proficiency helped land him a seat in the Directors chair in Sydney, Australia.

Whilst down-under, directing and performing in the australian production of “Don Quixote’s Great Pirate Attack”, the evenings were left wide open for Dave to again exercise his talents as a singer/songwriter. He used this time to further hone his solo skills, as well as forming a band known as “Dave Bootle & the Producers,” a tight aggregation of competent musicians performing Dave’s aussie-written originals. Among those is a track entitled “Australia,” which his critics and fans agree could still be a 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 later found himself also hired for the task of Vocal Captain, responsible for the maintenance of the cast’s vocal wellbeing and tight harmonies.

becoming a Stunt man

Even though his first love was music, Dave couldn’t stay away from his gymnastics roots. When not performing solo or with The Producers, Dave found himself working as a stunt man for a Sydney based agency on television commercials and australian and american film productions. If he wasn’t jumping from a 75-foot cliff into rough seas, falling through a trap door with a noose around his neck or engaging in a high-speed police chase, you would probably find him setting himself on fire in practice for the next big stunt!

Coming from a strict gymnastics background, he excelled, approaching the familiar big-screen stunt work with the same professionalism he employs on any musical project.

Stunts or music

After four fun-packed years down-under, the time had come once again to decide on a career path; music or movies? That decision became much easier after a brush with death on a stunt that had gone terribly wrong; while grasping a pulley attached to a wire, strung between two multi-story buildings, the apparatus collapsed sending Dave plummeting 60 feet, only to land on a wrought iron fence which ultimately saved him from another 60 ft fall to bare concrete! His injuries were enough to convince him to leave the stunt business and return to Canada in late 1988.

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

His album CD was supported by videos of “I’m In Trouble,” and “Baby Come Back”, both of which drew critical acclaim thanks to airplay on MuchMusic television. Dave also appeared on CITY-TV’s popular “Breakfast Television” show on two separate occasions. His live performances prompted host Ann Rohmer to exclaim “Oh, how fresh Dave” and “How original!”. Sentiments that stand the test of time.

Around this time, Dave gave a charitable performance for the annual Terry Fox Run. The outdoor venue was packed with an estimated 10,000 people participating in the festivities and the run for Cancer. This was followed by several months of club dates all over southern Ontario, seriously promoting “I’m In Trouble.”

bermuda then on to key west

Dave moved on again, this time taking his highly refined act to Bermuda for a run that lasted an incredible 19 years. From house-band at “The Cock & Feather” to the headline act at “Henry VIII Pub and Restaurant,” he continued to delight an international audience, and still travels to all corners of the globe on private invitations.

Dave now makes his home in Key West, Florida where he is excited to introduce his unique and ever-expanding performing style to yet another international group of tourists and locals alike. He usually spends his summers in the UK where his reputation and fan base 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 Daves enduring popularity.

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