David Francey was born in 1954 in Ayrshire, Scotland, where as a paper boy he got his first taste of the working life. He learned to read at an early age, and by age eleven was devouring the newspapers he delivered. This helped establish his interest in politics and world events while developing the social conscience that forms the backdrop of his songs.
He was twelve when his family immigrated to Toronto. He says he can trace his love of the land, the history, and the people of his adopted country to weekend family drives exploring southern Ontario. Music played a large part in these family outings. They sang traditional Scottish tunes as they drove through the Canadian countryside. Dad and sister Muriel sang melody, while mother and David sang harmonies.
His attachment to Canada grew with travel. He hitched across the country three times, then thumbed his way to the Yukon. This attachment surfaces in his songs of rail lines, farms, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. He grew to understand the people while working in Toronto train yards, the Yukon bush, and as a carpenter in the Eastern Townships. These experiences colour his first CD, Torn Screen Door, with songs like Hard Steel Mill, Gypsy Boys, and Working Poor and his second, Far End of Summer, with Highway, Flowers of Saskatchewan and February Morning Drive.
In concert David is a singer and a storyteller who can establish, in minutes, a personal rapport with his audience. His wry humour and astute observations combined with his openhearted singing style have earned him a loyal following.
David Francey's list of achievements in the folk music industry keeps on growing. David was awarded a 2008 JUNO for Right of Passage in the Roots and Traditional Album of the Year - Solo category making it his third JUNO win. Hot on the heels of consecutive JUNOs for both Far End of Summer and Skating Rink, David's fourth CD, Waking Hour earned him yet another nomination in the same category! David's song "Saints and Sinners" from his debut CD, Torn Screen Door, took first place in the folk category of the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition. David has also been the proud recipient of the Penguin Eggs Magazine's Album of the Year award for Skating Rink, Far End of Summer and Waking Hour. This January David appeared on CMT in the television documentary, Four Strong Winds, celebrating Canadian singer/songwriters and their impact on the world of popular music. David's song "Skating Rink" aired during the 2004 nationwide CBC broadcast of the Canadian Heritage Classic Hockey Game and aired before the Montreal vs Toronto game as part of Hockey Day in Canada.
Waking Hour, was recorded in Nashville with veteran performers Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin. This collection of original Francey tunes shares the simple recording style of David's first three CDs but adds a driving rhythm provided by these amazing Nashville artists. Waking Hour appears on the Jericho Beach Music label in Canada and is on Red House Records in the U.S.
David's songs have been performed by artists worldwide. Del McCoury, James Keelaghan, Raylene Rankin and Harvey Reid, among others, have each recorded Francey tunes. Four choirs, Toronto's Common Thread, Kingston's Open Voices, Vancouver's Solidarity Notes and the Seattle Labor Chorus have performed works by David and his songs are being taught to school children in classrooms across Canada.
David has performed at all of Canada's major folk festivals along with Denmark's prestigious Tønder Festival, the Towersey Village Festival in Oxford, England and the Carrying Stream Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has hosted workshops that included such artists as Jesse Winchester, Dougie MacLean, Garnet Rogers, the Ennis Sisters, and Ray Bonneville. He has shared workshops with Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Utah Phillips, Oysterband, Kate Rusby, James Keelaghan, Sylvia Tyson, Karen Savoca, Shooglenifty, Ashley MacIsaac, the Waifs, and numerous others.
