Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, I started playing guitar on my 14th birthday and began singing and song writing professionally at age 20. I owned and operated a small chain of music stores in the Greater Cleveland area for about ten years and was an active member of NAMM and the Cleveland Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
Before the arrival of the Mega Music Stores, I was the Largest Gibson, Marshall and Washburn dealer in Ohio and well educated in business and musical Instruments. I have met with many Famous People from Kiss to the Ramones and sold millions of dollars in both their endorsed products and other musical Instruments.
I help gear up many of Cleveland’s Top Sound & Lighting Companies, Night Clubs and a huge portion of the musicians in the North Eastern United States including many Touring Bands ranging from Tributes, Independent and National signed Bands and Productions.
I started Dashboard Lights in 1992 and had fun playing in the Greater Cleveland area with huge success and appreciation from fans and club owners. The band was growing and gaining over night success and Management & Booking Company contracts where competing and offered. I have never played a show with Dashboard Lights that we were not offered a return or a regular monthly opportunity.
Unfortunately, I found my self surrounded by the musicians that (maybe wanted) but could not advance to the next level of offered through contracts and the expectations of the management companies. They agencies were serious and half of our musicians were not or could not commit to travel or a professional music level of commitment.
The band was dissolved in 1996 and I took a break from Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's music until shortly before the release of the new Bat Out of Hell III album. I always wanted to build Dashboard Lights into the amazing production I always dreamed it with all the bells and whistles.
Now after a year of incredible investment both money and time and with the help of several of our new cast, we have built the band the way I always intended it to be. This time I am surrounded with the best musicians and all are willing to take it to the highest level.
I would spend time trying to describe the new Dashboard Lights but words can not describe it in detail. All I will say is it is a one phone call production capable of hosting full multi-band show case, capable of tailoring to various size venues and will always conduct ourselves as a business with intentions of leaving an ever lasting impression of emotion and amazement in every fan and production we do.
I’ll let the web site say the rest.
Donny Depasquale
Dashboard Lights
Projector Creator/Director/Manager
