It was a great pleasure to interview my manager of over 40 years, Diane Poncher, for episode 23 of Radio Owlsnest.  Join us as we discuss every aspect of my career and our long standing partnership.  We’ll touch upon what it was like to be a female manager in a male dominated music business.  You’ll hear the stories behind many of my songs and collaborations… the business dealings behind them - the tough decisions and the battles; the relationships we made from the 1980s onwards - the good ones and the, shall we say, more challenging ones; the joys and the sorrows.  We’ll touch upon Diane’s unique connection to my songs and my composing - a manager’s belief and devoted support of an artist.  And we’ll spin some rare recordings that personally mean a great deal to both of us.  For any of you interested in what a manager of a songwriter really does ; what the job entails… this is definitely for you.  Sit back and enjoy.
Martin

Radio Owlsnest Special - Episode 23 - Interview with Martin’s manager Diane Poncher

David Starr is a Colorado-based Blues and Americana singer/songwriter with over 11 albums to his credit. The Arkansas native has honed his decades-long career touring internationally, sharing the stage and collaborating with esteemed artists such as John Oates (Hall & Oates), John McEuen, Steve Cropper, Jim Lauderdale, and Wild Ponies as well as opening for acts like America, Karla Bonoff, Jim Messina, Survivor, and more. He has been a showcasing artist at Folk Alliance International, Americana Fest, and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance. In 2024 he melded his blues background of growing up playing electric guitar in Southern Arkansas clubs with his time spent in Nashville exploring Americana and Folk. What he arrived at was his own brand of “Bluesicana” - a melding of the two genres for his highly anticipated project Must Be Blue. After receiving rave reviews and recognition on previous singles from editorial playlists on Spotify such as “Got Blues”, it was clear he was striking a nerve. GRAMMY®-winning label Quarto Valley Records agreed and signed Starr to a record deal for the album, releasing in spring of 2025. He is a member of the Blues Foundation, The Colorado Blues Society, and the Pikes Peak Blues Society. Starr’s prestige extends beyond the stage, having launched Starr’s Guitars in Little Rock, before relocating to Cedaredge, CO in 2001, where it is now a beloved institution. Starr is also a founding member of the board for the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center in Cedaredge, an intimate event space aimed at attracting musicians and visual artists to Colorado’s Western Slope. In 2024, he produced the sold-out inaugural Grand Mesa Songwriter Festival, which brought 15 songwriters to Cedaredge to perform over 50 shows across five venues.



"Bringing The Darkness To The Light" with David Starr

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