David Watt Besley is a Virginia born songwriter, performer and sometimes a truth embellisher; he is a hard working, no frills, sit down and do it, kind of guy. In 1968 he began his musical adventure at 14 years old. Until 2010, he spent most of his career playing in bands; most notably Saucer, The North Star Band, The Bob Margolin Band, The Seiners and Those Guys. In 2010 he decided that it was now or never to go it alone. It was something he had to do, he says: “The band scene at the time wasn't working out.”
His audience can relate to the songs he writes, from the real life experience of love and heartbreak to fishing, drinking and dreaming; some will even make you laugh. He has been a part of the St. Augustine FL music scene since 1988 where he’s lived since leaving Jekyll Island, GA where he lived a short time before coming to St. Augustine. He travels several months a year playing his music at different venues across the USA and Canada. He also continues to write music and perform locally in and around St. Augustine. “If I’m in town you’ll find me and my guitar playing somewhere“
In early 2019 as Dave successfully continued a solo career, he once again found himself surrounded by some of the best musicians around. Somehow he began to transition his solo gigs into a duo, trio and eventually the Carpetbaggers were a working, traveling and recording band. The Carpetbaggers (named because the musicians weren’t from the area) released “Don’t Stare At The Sun” in December 2019, a compilation of songs written by Dave and George Reeves performed by members of the Carpetbaggers. With release #2 “Back Again” right around the corner (October 2021), Dave is back in the studio again working on release #3. He's calling it “Say Grace”. As the Carpetbaggers are continuing to perform in and around Florida and Georgia, Dave has also released his 4th solo effort “Live And A Little Touched”. He has also been working with his old group, The North Star Band on a double release “Then and Now” which is 10 original tracks from 1982 and 10 original tracks recorded in 2019 with all its original members. “I hope we get it done, it means a lot to me.”
“I’ve done the best with the gift I was given. It’s a dream come true to share my songs. “Making music is my life”.
