DIGNUS

Born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio, DIGNUS frontman and solo artist Diggy has performed music for fun and profit since the age of eleven. He began as a drummer, but after three years, changed to bass and then guitar. With his soulful 3½ octave voice, Diggy was always designated lead vocalist. A Nashville, Tennessee DJ once introduced Diggy to his SRO NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL audience as “the white Jackie Wilson”.

From Ohio, Diggy headed out for the eastern USA and Canada eventually taking up residence in Richmond, VA where he quickly built a musical name for himself. Diggy’s songwriting and performing skills attracted many of the area’s top, and then unknown, musicians. Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews), Keith Horne (Trisha Yearwood), and Keith Howland (Chicago) performed in Diggy’s highly acclaimed “Project”. After viewing the more direct and less cumbersome concerts of Bob Dylan in his “Don’t Look Back” video, Dig set the band aside and began performing solo three hours a night/four nights a week. He became a favorite college circuit performer and frequently requested solo opener for artist such as The Wallflowers, Tori Amos, and Chris Whitley.

At the urging of his ex-bandmate Keith Horne, who was now in Nashville playing bass for Tanya Tucker, Diggy traveled to Nashville to investigate the town’s burgeoning Folk/Rock - Pop scene. After only 9 months of constant performing in Music City, Diggy caught the ear of Tim Coats who was forming a new record label with 30-year Bruce Springsteen bassist Garry Tallent and songwriter Ron LaSalle. Garry, Tim, and Ron signed Diggy to a multi-record deal with their D’Ville Record Group. Diggy named his band DIGNUS ( hence his nickname . . . hey, it just stuck ) and IN YOUR WORLD, 12 Diggy songs produced by Garry and featuring George Marinelli (Bruce Hornsby and the Range/Bonnie Raitt) on additional guitars, was released in the Spring of 1996 to positive national reviews and was added to hundreds of college radio playlists throughout the USA and Canada.

The soulful and tight “Folk-Funk” trio traveled the eastern United States performing for The MacFEST in New York City and touring with The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies. DIGNUS would open shows for headliners such as Gov't Mule, Duncan Sheik, Jars of Clay, and headline medium-sized venues throughout the East. Just as things were looking up, D’Ville was “going down”, unable to survive a devastating financial setback. The promising Indie label closed leaving Diggy without the muscle needed to continue promoting his recording.

Since the D’Ville demise, Diggy has continued to build his name by writing and performing his own brand of soulful, “thought-provoking” music and releasing it through the DIGNUS website. Diggy has followed his tradition of forming DIGNUS variations with musical luminaries like John Jackson (Bob Dylan/Lucinda Williams/Shelby Lynn), George Marinelli, Terry Thomas (The Cheetah Wheelies), and Mark W. Winchester (Emmylou Harris/Brian Setzer) when the notion arises. His November 1999 release LOOKING FOR A NEW WAY, featuring an appearance by Bela Fleck sax man Jeff Coffin, also earned great reviews and Nashville airplay. As host and performer for 2001 and 2002 TIN PAN SOUTH (Nashville’s premiere annual songwriter showcase) and a featured BMI performer at the 2002 Folk Alliance, the Nashville music community continues to hold Diggy and his music in high regard.

An all-acoustic DIGNUS CD, Mudhouse Serenade, was released in March of 2002. It features 12 new Diggy songs performed with all the soul and passion that he is known to deliver. Diggy's relentless one-man "Mudhouse Tour" started in November of 2001, earning him repeat invitations to Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, Annapolis, Philadelphia, and many other great towns and cities east of the Mississippi. The tour successfully created a devout grassroots following, as designed, and delivered opening slots for Keb Mo, Alejandro Escavedo, Chris Whitley, legendary folk singer Eric Andersen, The Maryjanes, and Those Darn Accordions.

In the May 2002 issue, Music Row Magazine's record reviewer John Hood said Diggy "is in fine voice throughout (Mudhouse Serenade), cementing his status as one of Nashville's most compelling vocalists."

In 2004, Diggy has reformed the band with the rock-solid DIGNUS alumnus ANDY HABAN on bass and the explosive funk monster ADMO WIRDZEK on drums. Diggy remains as lead vocalist and guitarist.

More Notable Quotes

"DIGNUS was a particularly pleasant surprise in a rare New York appearance. Diggy is an unusually literate writer . . . . Diggy evokes the image of a no-nonsense street poet musing about the nature of human spirituality in between blistering guitar runs." - John Swenson, UPI Pop Music Columnist/NYC

“The benefit of (the all-acoustic production of Mudhouse Serenade) is that you get to really hear how cool Diggy's lyrics really are." - Freelance writer Robert K. Oermann, Music Row Magazine - April 2002