Name Dave Michaels | ||
 | ||
David miotke dave michaels of hp lovecraft the white ship
David Miotke (b. December 15, 1944, Chicago, Illinois) is an American keyboard player and singer, who under the name Dave Michaels was best known as co-founder of the '60s acid rock band H. P. Lovecraft.
Miotke studied at Northwestern University, earning a bachelor's degree in music theory and composition, and a master's degree in applied piano. While an undergraduate in 1967, and performing under the name Dave Michaels, he joined folk singer George Edwards in forming the band H. P. Lovecraft. They released two albums, H. P. Lovecraft and H. P. Lovecraft II, which were both characterised by Edwards and Michaels' striking vocal harmonies and by Michaels' multi-instrumental skills. Michaels departed from the band in September 1968 to return to his studies.
He graduated with honors, and continued to work as a musician, singing, playing and arranging many national radio and television commercials. In 1997 he became music director at Max's Opera Cafe in San Francisco, and also worked with the cabaret group Bizou. In 2001, he issued a debut solo album, In Dust I Sing, singing and playing original compositions to the ghazal lyrics of Francis Brabazon and Bhau Kalchuri. He also specializes in performing the standard American songbook repertoire of writers such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hart.