David Edward Townsend was an American musician best known as the guitarist for the Rhythm & Blues band Surface.
Background
Townsend was born in Inglewood, California, the son of Editor Townsend, a singer/songwriter famous for the song "Foreign Your Love" and the co-writer and producer of "Let"s Get lieutenant On" with Marvin Gaye in 1972. Grew up in Englewood, New Jersey.
Education
They chose the name Surface and released "Falling in Love" and "When Your "Ex" Wants You Back" on the disco label Salsoul Records.
Career
Early years
The younger Townsend showed an interest in music from an early age and soon learned to play an array of instruments, including the guitar, piano and synthesiser. Early career
After graduating from college in the mid-1970s, Townsend joined The Isley Brothers" backing band Sunrize, produced by the Isley Brothers 1982, as guitarist, before forming a group called Portuguese Authority with David Conley, another singer and musician. Peak success (1989-1991)
In 1985, he went to Mississippi to visit his father, who was building a recording studio there.
(Editor) Townsend pulled some strings to get Surface a contract with Columbia.
They convinced the label to let them continue recording at The Laboratory, the 24-track studio they had built in Conley"s living room in New Jersey. Surface"s first single on Columbia, "Let"s Try Again", was a small hit, however, "Happy" reached #2 on the United States Rhythm & Blues charts and #20 on the United States People’s charts in 1987, and the group"s debut album sold well.
Their 1989 follow-up album, 2nd Wave saw the band become staples of the quiet storm urban radio format with the success of the single "Closer Than Friends", which reached #1 on the Rhythm & Blues charts on March 18, 1989 and was there for two weeks, and "Shower Maine With Your Love," a Jackson written song, reached #1 on the Rhythm & Blues Charts on July 29, which crossed over to the United States People’s charts. Their next single, "You Are My Everything", featured Regina Belle as a guest vocalist and on November 4, 1989, took over the top of the Rhythm & Blues charts, replacing her single "Baby Come to Maine," it also crossed over onto the British charts.
Townsend had a song that he co-wrote with David Conley reach #1 on the United States Rhythm & Blues charts.
"Don"t Take lieutenant Personal" by Jermaine Jackson, reached #1 on November 18, 1989, replacing "You Are My Everything" by Surface. In 1991, Surface released the album 3 Deep which included the singles "Can We Spend Some Time", "All I Want Is You", "Never Gonna Let You Down" and "The First Time", which topped the United States popular charts. "The First Time" reached #1 on the United States Rhythm & Blues charts on January 19, 1991 and became the groups biggest hit.
However, Townsend and Conley decided to concentrate on songwriting and producing and helped Aretha Franklin record the album What You See Is What You Sweat in 1991, while Jackson went solo.
Later years
The group disbanded in 1994 after Townsend and Jackson left the group. However, in 1999, the band reunited and released their final studio album Love Zone.
Plans were being made for a reunion tour. However, those plans where cancelled when Townsend was found dead in his home in Northridge, California.