About “DK”

David “DK” Krapes’ career has spanned well over forty years and has embraced him as a Pop Jazz Blue Eyed Soul Singer in the entertainment industry. His endeavors have included several band tours across the USA and a 9 year term as an entrepreneur in the music store business in the City of Orange between 1977 and 1985. The management of his business affairs in both worlds helped him encompass a wide array of accomplishments throughout his career. As young boy, his passion to sing and dance opened doors to many local events.  His mother encouraged him to pursue his dream and DK has never stopped since.  His first gig was a singing lead part in a Christmas show at Dr. Peter Marshal Elementary School. Then in 9th grade he started singing for The “Ethics”, “The Knot”,  “Roving Kind” and the “Mandels”. All the local bands back then were asking DK to sing lead. Some of the songs today are classic rock and soul songs like “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly, “Light My Fire” by the Doors, and “Fresh Garbage” by Spirit, “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “We Got To Get Out Of This Place” by the Animals, “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, and included songs by Jimi Hendrix, The Young Rascals, and the Legendary Stevie Wonder.

DK started his career singing and playing all over Orange Country at High School Dances, and Private parties.  In the 11th grade another opportunity came along when DK went to see Mr. Coleman, the Jazz Band Director for Villa Park High School. They hit it off right away, and Mr. Coleman made DK the lead vocalist for the Labor Jazz Band. DK started performing with a 20 piece Big Band in 1969 & 70 and even got to record an album with them. Now, that was pretty cool!

In DK’s last year of high school he had to make a decision on whether to leave this country, give up his citizenship and move to Canada or Mexico, or end up getting drafted by the government into the Armed Forces and sent to the Vietnam  war without a choice in his say. DK decided to volunteer and he ended up doing a tour in Vietnam anyway. Even with this dilemma in front of him he still found a way to step up on a stage. In June of 1970 DK ended up singing to the troops in boot camp at the Navy Training Base in San Diego CA. The funny thing was that DK became known as the Singing Recruit of Company 261. He even got asked to sing on a Bob Hope show. Two years later DK returned from Vietnam and immediately jumped into the music scene and went on tour for several years.

DK’s career flourished as an accomplished front man and he toured with Pop Top 40 bands like “SUNRISE”, R&B Soul Funk bands “CALIFORNIA SPECIAL” & “TERRA NOVA” up until 1977. That’s when DK opened up Frontier Music with two partners and he started performing locally 7 nights a week in LA. He performed with R&B Soul band “DARK HORSE”, jazz fusion band “IMAGE” and Top 40 band “FAST BREAK” up until 1985 when he closed his store. It was then that DK came to another crossroad in his life where one path meant a solid 9 months of touring overseas in Europe, while the other was a tough decision to step down from the stage in order to be there for his children… DK chose family and put his music career on hold and had to find a job. He then made his move to the San Fernando Valley and got offered a job selling pianos and organs for Colton Piano Stores in the music capital of the world, Los Angeles, California. During this time there where literally no singing opportunities and the band era was non-existent in the LA scene between 1985 and 2008. In 1987 he opened up a karate and kickboxing school and got a real estate license and pursued another goal. Even when he was working in real estate, he spent time writing and recording songs with local musicians.

Now, flashing forward to 2008, right after the economy collapsed, no work, no future, and a wife who was very sick with cancer, DK found himself trying to visualize his future.  This day was a day DK will never forget when his children approached him. They asked him, “Why aren’t you singing Dad? You were so happy when you were singing and practicing back in the day. Why don’t you start singing again? What’s holding you back?” It was this engagement with his beloved children that reignited that flame.  That flame was MUSIC!  At that moment in life, is when DK reached out to his old friend from Orange County, Tom Saviano, now a seasoned veteran songwriter, producer, & session cat in the L.A. music scene. He reconnected; it became clear that Saviano would be the right person to guide him towards his passions and goals as a vocalist.  DK is back and in the creative seat again and it’s so exciting!