Ethan Daniel Davidson

Ethan Daniel Davidson, (born October 21, 1969) is an American musician and philanthropist known for producing folk music. Since the late 1990s, Davidson has released 10 studio albums. 
== Early life and education ==
He is the son of billionaire William "Bill" Davidson, former owner of the Detroit Pistons and Guardian Industries, which was purchased by Koch Industries in 2017. He has one sister, Marla Karimipour, and three stepsisters, including actress Elizabeth Reaser. He was raised in Bloomfield, Michigan and attended Lahser High School. While attending Lahser High School, he was involved in a school band, which he credited with sparking an early interest in music for him. 
Davidson graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He also studied at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. After graduating, he traveled as a bass player in various East Coast bands, and later moved to Alaska. 
== Music career ==
=== Early career, Six Year Tour ===
Davidson first began writing music in the 1990s while living in Wiseman, Alaska. He was working in a lumber camp at the time and was encouraged to pursue music by his fellow loggers. While living in Alaska, he toured the United states on his Six Year Tour during which he played over 900 shows. His first six albums were produced by Al Sutton on his former record label, Times Beach Records, and recorded in Royal Oak, Michigan. 
=== 2012 - present ===
Davidson's wife Gretchen Gonzales Davidson and Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive produced four of Davidson's records - including Silvertooth (2012) and Drawnigh (2015). Davidson and Gretchen founded the band Seedsmen of the World together. Davidson's 2017 album Crows was produced by Blue Arrow Records of Cleveland, Ohio. 
Davidson and his wife co-produced the documentary Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story, which headlined the 2019 Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival. The 90-minute film follows the life of William Davidson and highlights his business philosophies. Davidson also produced the soundtrack for the documentary, which was directed by Deb Agolli and Push Media. 
On August 18, it was announced that Davidson was releasing another album titled Come Down Lonesome, produced with his wife and Defever. The album was released on August 21, 2020 and included both original songs and covers. 
== Style and influences ==
Davidson's style has been described as folk, folk rock, and American folk, with influences from artists such as Reverend Gary Davis, Bob Dylan, and Mississippi John Hurt. Mike McGonigal of the Metro Times compared his ability to combine various musical genres to Calexico. His early music often featured heavily political themes, while his later albums focus more on existential conflicts. 
== Personal life ==
Davidson is married to Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, a musician best known for her participation in the band Slumber Party, which released 3 records on the label Kill Rock Stars. Together, the couple have three children. 
== Philanthropy ==
Davidson was named as the board chair for the Michigan Opera Theatre, succeeding Rick Williams who stepped down in 2019. Davidson also serves as a board member at Motown Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts. 
Davidson is Treasurer and Chairman of the Grants Committee for The William Davidson Institute which was founded by his father. 
== Discography ==
List of studio albums	List of studio albums 	List of studio albums
Year 	Title 	Label
2020 	Come Down Lonesome 	Blue Arrow Records
2017 	Crows 	Blue Arrow Records
2015 	Drawnigh 	Seedsmen
2012 	Silvertooth 	Seedsmen
2005 	Free The Ethan Daniel Davidson Five 	Times Beach Records
2004 	Don Quixote De Suburbia 	Times Beach Records
2004 	Better Living Through Creative Selling	Times Beach Records
2001 	Bootleg Series Vol. 1 	Times Beach Records
2001 	This Machine Kills Fascists 	Times Beach Records
2000 	Ring Them Bells 	Times Beach Records
1999 	Alaska 11 North 	Times Beach Records
== Filmography ==
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
2019	Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story	Executive producer, composer	Documentary
2017	"My Crows" 	Performer 	Music video
2015	"Count the Knives" 	Performer 	Music video
2014	"Death Don't Have No Mercy" 	Performer 	Music video
2014	"Stockton" 	Performer 	Music video
2014	"Ain't the Man I Used to Be" 	Performer 	Music video
2014	Til the Light Comes Shining In 	Performer 	Music video
2013	"I See Satan Fall Like Lightning" 	Performer 	Music video
2012	"The Dogs Howl, The Caravan Moves On" 	Performer 	Music video
==In the media==
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== References ==
==External links==
* 
* Ethan Daniel Davidson – Blue Arrow Records
* Ethan Daniel Davidson on spotify
* Ethan Daniel Davidson on gaana.com
* Ethan Daniel Davidson reaches back with feeling for latest album
* Ethan Daniel Davidson Talks About His New Album
Category:1969 births
Category:American musicians
Category:American philanthropists
Category:American songwriters
Category:People from Lansing, Michigan
Category:Bachelor's degrees
Category:University of Michigan alumni
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:University of Chicago alumni