User:Ishan Danny Birchett

Ishan Dan Birchett born to Wilbur James and Esther Bernise Birchett on Log Cabin St, Detroit, Michigan on April 9th, 1958. He is the eighth child of nine children. At age 2 years old, Danny and his family moved to Detroit's northwest side of town to 14025 San Juan at Ewald circle, where he spent his early academic years. During this time his interest was in sports; basketball, baseball, cross country track and football. Him and his 8 siblings (two sisters, and six brothers) were single-handedly raised by their mother, after their father was hospitalize for what turned out to be a fatal decease that took him away from the family for over ten years. His father died from his illness in 1973.

The Early Years
Danny attended Courtis Elementary School, Noble Junior High and the renowned motor city talent factory Mumford High School (Michagan), where he shared the halls with schoolmates Karen Clark Shears, Dorinda Clark Cole, Marvin Winans, Carvin Winans, Ron Winans, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, and Minister Timothy Gaines; just to name a few. But It was in junior high where Danny’s interest in music begin. Danny and his brother Patrick and two cousins Tony and Clarence entered a neighborhood talent contest and took first place for their James Brown dance moves (splits) and choreography. At his junior high graduation Danny was selected to sing “He aint heavy, he’s my brother” and a local neighborhood talent was born.

The Bassist
While attending a PAW Michigan State Youth council service at home church Greater Grace Temple, Danny heard Tommy DeBarge (R&B Group Switch) playing bass during the worship service and fell in love with the sound. That year, 1973, he asked his mother for a bass for Christmas and she granted him that request with a brand new Natural 4 string sunburst bass. From Christmas day until late spring, Danny spent all of his free time, in his mother’s basements teaching himself bass. He purchased a Mel Bay ‘Learn how to play bass’ book and by summer time he was playing by ear and by charts. He never took lessons from man.

The Launch
It was in 1974 Danny joined the rhythm section of the Greater Grace Temple music department where he worked with drummer Charles H. Ellis, organist/guitarist Lee Davis, and pianist/keyboardist Kenneth Wilson. This first generation combo became the most sought after musicians in the history of Detroit Gospel music. Shortly after recording with the nationally acclaimed Donald Vails Choraleers, Danny and Chucky Ellis were hired as studio musicians for the renowned legendary Savoy Record Company, where they launch a journey of recording and touring for numerous gospel artists throughout the nation. Many young and up and coming musicians were inspired by their achievements and begin to join the GGT family of musicians in Fred Hammond (bass), Mike Williams (Drums), Keefe Gardner (Drums), Jeff Stanton (Guitar), Jacques Lesure (guitar), Steve Montgomery (Trumpet), Tony Brown (Guitar), Kevin Millege (Drums), William Duncan (Piano), Darryl Ford (Piano), and Timothy Horton (Guitar).

The Mentor
Danny went on to attend Henry Ford Community College where he studied under Donald Lupp, director of Music and Jazz Studies, working towards a degree in music in the field of education. Danny loved sharing this knowledge with as many musicians who choose to listen; one of which was Fred Hammond. Fred’s mother Mildred, approach Danny and asked him to teach her son music and when Danny asked what instrument; she replied ‘any’. Fred Hammond credits Ishan “Danny” Birchett for mentoring him in the school of music and teaching him to play bass. Danny went on to teach many of the GGT musicians music theory and shared with them his experiences while playing for the Winans, James Cleveland, GMWA, Beverly Glenn, The Clark Sisters, Thomas Whitfield, Keith Pringle, Dorothy Norwood and Donald Vails to name of a few.

The Visionary
Ishan “Danny” Birchett was known for being ahead of his time. In the late nineties Danny approached fellow musician Darryl Ford with the idea of starting a contemporary Gospel group he named “Saved”. This group included most of the young up and coming GGT musicians who were seeking a chance to adorn the gospel stage as they had seen Danny do over the years. This group consisted of four tenors, three altos’, and three sopranos, drummer, basses, two keyboardists, two guitarists, a horn section which consist of Alto & Tenor Sax, Trumpets and Cornet. Their sound was a mix of contemporary gospel flavored with R&B funk groves and vocals, which was considered way ahead of their time. Danny was known for taking secular songs like Kenny Logins “This is it” and Elton John’s “Don’t let the sun go down on me” and converting the words to Gospel. He took the bass playing style of Jaco Pastorius, Stanly Clarke and Bootsy Collins and created “Danny Bass” on a fretless neck. Immediately after receiving his first bass, he popped the frets out of the neck and never played fretted bass again. Quite often during a Worship service, you would hear a familiar R&B bass line mixed with a ‘shout moment’ and the anointing would fall just the same. Latter it was realized that this type of fusion was what kept bringing the un-saved back to hear the sounds they could relate with, and then eventually became born again while listening to the message delivered by Bishop David L. Ellis. “Kill Joe” was one of the smooth bass lines that Lee, Chucky and Danny would work into the service and people would love it!

The Engineer
Before gospel music was accepted into mainstream American music, musicians like Danny were often only paid $125.00 for a complete albums, weekend tours and major concerts. Sometimes up and coming artist could only pay him with a handshake and a “Thanks.” Driven by the need to survive, Danny returned to school, but this time to become a computer programmer. Upon graduating from the National Institute of Technology in 1982, the Michigan economy was suffering from low auto sales. Danny was advised by his professors to consider Houston Texas, Atlanta Georgia or Washington DC for programming jobs. Danny chose DC for he knew relatives of fellow musicians who were willing to take him in while he found employment. Danny continued to work in gospel music, but his primary focus was his career in computer science. After a couple of tough years, he landed his first major position with a beltway bandit corporation that set him on his path to a successful career in software engineering. Over time he learned how to take his engineering experience and mix it with his gospel music experience and has now returned to the Gospel industry with fresh and new innovative concepts that once again has placed him ahead of his time.

The Innovator
Ishan “Danny” Birchett has written a book about Overcoming Strongholds that examine the parallels of his life story while growing up in Detroit, his relationships and some of the strongholds that he had to overcome in order to fully move into his Devine Purpose in life. Danny has also launched (another innovative concept) the Divine Purpose Network, a mix of You Tube video and Facebook networking to create a world-wide support system for individuals who seek help in reaching their Divine Purpose in Life. Danny has three registered software patents in three countries that credit him with innovating technology in the advancement of electronic syndication of the automated on-line bill paying experience. Danny was the first gospel bass player to adorn the newly created Kenny Arts Center in Washington DC, with gospel artist Donald Vails and Min. Keith Pringle. He was the hired Bass Player on the award winning, Grammy nominated, gold album “He Decided to Die” by Donald Vails and the Choraleers.

Family
Danny is the father of Krysti L. Birchett, Ishan Dan Birchett II (aka Brickz Kidd), Brian P. Birchett, and Danielle Esther Birchett. His brother and sisters are Colleen, Jalna, Wilbur and Michael, David, Anthony, Patrick and little brother Derrick.