Dave Kusworth

Dave Kusworth

Dave Kusworth is a British singer and guitarist from the United Kingdom, born in Birmingham in 1960 and dying in 2020. He works in rock and is associated with post-punk, jangle pop and singer-songwriter music as well as 1980s rock.

Career

Kusworth forms his first band, TV Eye, at the age of 16, influenced by the raw energy of The Stooges and the glam rock of the New York Dolls. He goes on to play as a singer, songwriter and guitarist in a series of groups, including The Subterranean Hawks, The Dogs D’Amour, The Rag Dolls, Jacobites, the Bounty Hunters and the Tenderhooks. His work with Jacobites includes collaboration with ex-Swell Maps musician Nikki Sudden.

He also appears in The Dave Kusworth Group and Dave Kusworth and The Tenderhooks. His band the Bounty Hunters sometimes opens for Johnny Thunders. Across these projects, he builds a reputation for a distinctive rock and roll style.

Songwriting and influence

Kusworth’s songs are described as stories of rock and roll heartache in the tradition of artists such as The Faces and The Rolling Stones. His material is covered by Evan Dando and Mercury Rev, and he is admired by musicians including Tom Waits, Chuck Prophet and Peter Buck.