Danny Wright

by Sandra Brennan The many recordings of keyboardist/composer Danny Wright are difficult to classify. He specializes in three distinct music styles: adult contemporary compositions, Broadway show tunes and movie themes, and classical music. His original compositions tend to be in the adult contemporary mode and are frequently inspired by classical composers such as Beethoven, Pachelbel and Debussy as well as by such Broadway greats as Gershwin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerome Kern and Stephen Sondheim. Wright was born and raised in Fort Worth, TX. He began playing piano at age four. He then studied classical piano under Dr. Harris Cavender for ten years. While studying, Wright demonstrated a gift for improvising in the exact style he was playing and he has used this talent for making each piece uniquely his. Later he won a full scholarship to Christian University where he studied music education. He dropped out of school at age 22 to begin his professional career. Wright began composing his own music in 1985. With Dori and Bob Nichols, he founded the label Nichols-Wright Records (later Moulin D'Or Recordings) to release his own albums. He made his recording debut with Black and White, (1986) which was first marketed to a select group of friends, relatives, and restaurant patrons. It took two years, but eventually the Nichols' got local Dallas/Fort Worth radio stations to play Wright's songs. His second album, Time Windows (1987) was a showcase of Wright's compositions. This and the first were sold via mail order. By 1987, his albums were being distributed throughout North America. His third album Phantasys (1988) became one of his most popular and also features Wright's own compositions. His 1992 album Autumn Dreams made it to the Top Ten on Billboard's Top Adult Alternative sales chart and stayed there for over six months, becoming on of the top new age albums of the year. As of the mid-'90s, Wright plays concerts all over the U.S. including benefits for such charitable organizations as the Children's Foundation, and the Humane Society. He continued recording albums for Nichols-Wright on an annual basis before moving to Real Music in 2001, where he continued to record albums annually, including the two CD set he released in 2003 entitled Danny Wright Healer of Hearts.