My brother Danny was a gentle and spiritual soul. Deep down he began to be interested in music around eight or nine years of age. He actually could read music at age eleven, taught to him by the school band teacher at Jackson Elementary. 

Dan was a multitalented instrumentalist, and he began his music career playing the trumpet. He began writing songs for the trumpet even in grade school.

I remember how we could hear him and his friend playing their songs in the halls of the school at break time. All trumpets nothing else.

His interest in the trumpet took a detour when he and our older brother were given tickets to a concert to see the Mighty Jackson 5.

I remember how in the dead of night he would jump out of bed and grab his guitar and begin writing and playing a song that was in his head around the age of 12 years old.

My Brothers taught themselves music from songs on the radio! Dan could read music but my older brother couldn’t at the time. So they played by ear and what ears they had.

In those days The Jackson 5 blew all the kid's minds. Dan and Ed soon graduate from boy bands to the top influential musical interest of their time. 

Their top influential musicians in this order were Jackson 5, Ohio Players,  James Brown, Stanley Clark,  Sly, and the Family Stone, Larry Graham, and Bootsy Collins. 

Funk was in their blood, belief, me or not. Dan was a rocker as well. One of his all-time guitarists was Mark Farner of the Band of Grand Funk Railroad. 

We wonder how Slave, barely out of high school were such phenoms in writing and playing the type of sophisticated, instrumental productions at such a young age.  

If we just take a look at their influences and their efforts to be as good as their idles. It’s no wonder how they became the phenomena that were and are still. 

Some of the best all-time music was made in those days!

If you listen closely. Dan’s rhythmic chords are closely similar to Mark Farner's. He was so influenced by him. He even patterned his singing stylistics, close to the subtleties of Mr. Farner’s voice. 

The Rock Groups - Yes and Deep Purple were also influential to Dan. Jimi Hendrix was the Ultimate Guitarist for Dan but at heart, Dan was a genius at combining these styles into his own. R&B, Jazz, Rock = Funk Music.

I will miss my brothers and their excitement for music, It was pure and fresh. I long for the days when they traveled garage to garage jamming with all the local talent. 

My fondest memory of them was in 1975. They were 16 and 15 years old and they had signed up to play on a traveling music stage.

A truck that was a portable stage on wheels traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood. Highlighting the premier local garage bands in Dayton Ohio Promoted at the time by a well-known Brewery even to this day.

The night they were to play. They were minus their amplifiers and drums and armed only with their axes (Guitars). They were denied access to the stage because of it. But, my oldest brother, somehow talked the stage manager into letting them play. 

But, only if they could talk the headlining band into using their equipment; who had just finished their set which everyone knows is the last group to play.

So unknowingly to the headliners, my brothers who were named The Young Underground at the time; were extremely well-liked and known on the west side of Dayton. 

Around Midnight in McCabe's Park in Old Dayton Ohio. The headliners agreed to let them use their equipment. What did they do that for?

Around Midnight, these 15 and 16-year-old kids, turned that stage into a type of Woodstock in the middle of the night. Stealing the show from the headliners.

People went wild over them climbing on stage to get at them, even the stage manager was impressed and went into action to hype up the action, even more. Who all night only had strobe lighting flicking. 

The songs that they played were Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple and Call My Baby P-U-S-S-Y (excuse the French) BY THE FUNKADELIC. 

The Stage Manager then turned on the smoke machines and colored the night with psychedelic-colored strobe lights. The audience as in those days lit up the night with their BIC cigarette lighters for their show of approval.

Danny with his showmanship played his guitar with his teeth and behind his back, for lead solos.

That night, I knew a STAR was BORN alongside his Big Brother and the rest is history! 

May God Rest their souls!  

Carl, I want to thank you for this opportunity to share just a tidbit of Dan’s early Life with you I hope it’s usable and good reading for a fan and fans alike. 

Carl, I’m a retired steelworker, Preacher, and a Funkster at heart. I hope I didn’t go too far (smile) but, thanks for your indulgence. Permission to post is granted thank you.

Thankfully and trustingly,

Kirk Webster

SLAVE - ITS MY HEART THAT BREAKING - 1986 - DANNY WEBSTER ON LEAD VOCALS ON THIS TRACK

On Thursday, September 10, 2020, Daniel "Danny" Webster, loving son, brother, and father passed away at his home at the age of 61.

A resident of Dayton, Ohio, Danny was born on January 6, 1959, to Helen D. Childs and Edward C. Webster, Sr. (natural father).