From Denton to the Road

Donnie was a self-taught sound engineer whose career began in the North Texas music scene.

In the early 1970s, he worked around Denton with the Lee Pickens Group and spent time at Ruby’s, a local gathering place where musicians and artists such as Freddie King, Lee Pickens and others connected. It was within this world that Donnie came to the attention of Showco, reportedly through company co-founder Jack Calmes.

By 1974, Donnie had joined Showco.

His move into large-scale concert touring happened quickly. Before long, he was on the road running monitors alongside Rusty Brutsche for Led Zeppelin—an extraordinary beginning to what became a deeply respected career in live sound.

Donnie learned by listening, observing and doing. He did not come from a formal engineering program. His skill was built on instinct, determination, an exceptional ear and the ability to remain focused in the middle of the controlled chaos of a live concert.

A Career Behind the Music

During his years with Showco, Donnie worked with many of the most influential artists and touring productions of the era.

His known credits include work with:

Led Zeppelin · The Who · The Rolling Stones · The Band · Three Dog Night · Lynyrd Skynyrd · Genesis · Phil Collins · Robert Plant · Prince · Mötley Crüe · The Psychedelic Furs · Laurie Anderson · Julian Lennon · The Guess Who · Climax Blues Band · Lee Pickens Group

This list remains incomplete.

Like many touring engineers of his generation, Donnie did not keep detailed personal records of every tour, concert or artist. His history continues to be reconstructed through photographs, itineraries, passes, crew memories, archival documents and the stories of the people who worked beside him.

Donnie became a trusted and highly requested engineer. Artists and production teams valued not only his technical ability, but also his confidence, personality and gift for connecting with the people around him.

He was recognized by Pro Sound News during the 1980s for his work as an engineer. The archive is still working to locate the original publication and confirm the exact award title and year.

Lynyrd Skynyrd — October 20, 1977

Donnie was a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash near Gillsburg, Mississippi.

He had told my mother the day before the crash that he did not want to get back onto the plane.

When the aircraft went down, Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle helped pull my father from the wreckage. That act is something my family will never forget.

Showco alumnus Buddy Prewitt was driving for the tour and received word of the crash while my mother was waiting for my father in Baton Rouge. She did not yet know what had happened. Buddy went to her and drove her to the hospital in McComb, Mississippi, where my father had been taken.

Donnie survived, but the physical and emotional effects of the crash remained part of his life.

His Final Years on the Road

Even while facing cancer, Donnie continued working.

Some of his final touring work included Prince and Robert Plant. He remained part of the concert industry he loved during a period when he was already seriously ill.

His determination to continue was characteristic of the man his friends and colleagues knew: loyal, hardworking and devoted to the people around him.

Donnie passed away in March 1986.

After his death, he was remembered in Buddy Magazine, a publication that documented the Texas music community and the people who helped shape it.

Remembering DK

Donnie was respected for his work, but he was loved for who he was.

He could become the center of attention in nearly any room. He was a gifted storyteller, a natural charmer and someone people wanted to be around. My mother often joked that women would walk right up and flirt with him—even while she was standing beside him.

He was confident, funny, handsome and unforgettable.

To the artists, he was a trusted engineer. To the crew, he was family. To me, he was my dad.

Showco Archives exists because I wanted to understand more of his life, preserve the world he belonged to and make certain that the people behind the music are never forgotten.