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By James Sanchez

As the son of a Methodist minister who spread the word around Albert Lea, the artist who is known as “David K” has always had an affinity for music.

David K began reading and singing at his father’s church as part of the choir. As his love for music continued to grow, he eventually began writing his own songs.

In fact, by the tender age of 11, he had already written a lot of his own music, while also beginning to explore the transcendent music of the Beatles. It was then when he began to fortify one of his dedicated beliefs that “one should live their purpose, if they know what it is.”

As time went by, David K, with that tightly held belief, developed one of his many talents and began to navigate life as a tribute artist.

He began to travel doing Beatles tribute shows for decades and continued on his path when one day during a rehearsal he began to sing a bit of Roy Orbison.

Nearby friends, fans and band members heard it and then implored him to continue. It was then, when David K decided to do further research on what would eventually be his future endeavors.

During his research, he discovered how much influence Roy Orbison had with the Beatles, along with Buddy Holly, who he also covers a few songs in his tribute shows. He then continued to enthrall himself in the history of Orbison, making sure he appreciated all of his albums and appreciating the talent that it exhibited.

David K then decided to get a Roy Orbison Tribute Show going, with several dozen tour dates. It was then that the COVID-19 pandemic began, making David K’s Roy Orbison Ultimate Tribute tour cancel well over a dozen dates.

During the worst of the pandemic, he continued to be dedicated to his craft, and due to that perseverance, he will now be live and in concert at Diamond Jo Worth Casino, performing as Roy Orbison in the Roy Orbison Ultimate Tribute Show. 

“I’ll be performing a lot of his hit songs while also telling some of the history of Roy Orbison, so I think the audience will really like that,” he said. “I’ll also throw in some Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis songs, then finish it with more Roy Orbison songs … so it will kind of be a bit of a fun, Rock a Billy Holiday show!”

David K’s performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Diamond Jo Casino. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at DiamondJoWorth.com.