David Watson spent three decades wearing the flat hat of a Park Ranger, where storytelling wasn’t just entertainment—it was a tool. After retiring, the creative spark that guided his writing, art, and photography finally stepped into the spotlight. Now, with time on his side and a guitar in his hands, David has embraced songwriting as his second career, bringing a ranger’s eye for detail and a naturalist’s sense of wonder to every lyric.

Praised by fans for his narrative depth and plainspoken honesty, David has been compared to Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, and Dean Dillon. His acoustic shows move easily between Country, Americana, and heartfelt originals—songs that feel lived-in, dusted with road grit, and rich with character.

David has played songwriter festivals from Third Street in Baton Rouge to the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival at the Flora-Bama, earning recognition along the way:

*Song of the Year (Nominee), 2023, Cumberland Mountain Songwriters Guild — “My Smokey Mountain Home”

*World Songwriting Awards Top 10, June 2022 — “Tin Roof”

*World Songwriting Awards Top 10, September 2022 — “Has Country Lost Its Country Heart”

*World Songwriting Awards Top 10, May 2023 (Best Gospel) — “Are You Ready”

*ISSA, Voted #3 Americana Artist — June 2022

The Josie Music Awards, Songwriter of the Year (Nominee) — 2019

*ISSA, Songwriter of the Year (Nominee) — 2023

*Rocky Mountain Songwriter Showcase, Top 20 — 2022, “Barbwire and Trains”

*Featured in Write Away (UK) online magazine — 2022

Grounded by a lifetime of service and fueled by a late-blooming creative fire, David writes with the clarity of someone who’s walked the trails, watched the seasons turn, and learned that the truest stories are the ones you’ve lived.