Born into a musical family, David Campbell, also known as Chopper, had a love of music from the start. His mother was classically trained with an operettic voice. His father was a multitalented musician, playing piano, ukulele, banjo, and had a particular skill for sight reading vocal bass lines, coming in handy while singing in several 50s quartets. At age 12, Chopper got his first guitar, a Yamaha classical with nylon strings, on which he would strum around, playing Simon and Garfunkel. However, also in 1977, Chopper went to his first ever concert, where the original Kiss and AC/DC played the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. That night, Chopper was hooked, and he knew he wanted to play rock guitar. 

Later, in his sophomore year in high school, Chopper joined his first band, Excalibur which later evolved into Equinox. The band’s beginnings gravitated towards classic rock legends like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and Chuck Berry, playing gigs at the fabled House Restaurant in Ferrum, Johnny’s Tavern, and the Barrel House. However, after its evolution in 1984, Equinox refocused their flavor with influences like Rush, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, and Dire Straits. As Chopper grew, he began exploring other cities in the U.S. where he gained exposure to different musical genres by joining a variety of notable bands. In the 80s and 90s, Chopper played in a St. Louis based band called Blue Dixie which later evolved into Dancing Earth Reunion, influenced by traditional blues, straight ahead rock, and world beat. Starting as a Grateful Dead cover band, the band toured up and down the East Coast and Midwest, eventually playing original music and gaining some radio play along the way. Chopper also toured with St. Louis born The Schwag, and in the late 90’s he helped finish a tour with Dark Star Orchestra, with whom he continues to play the occasional show today.