Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter performs two concerts in Lexington this week

This Saturday, Lexington County music fans will have not one, but two chances to see a Grammy-nominated R&B star in an intimate, sophisticated setting at Chayz Lounge on Meeting Street.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Anthony David, a Savannah, Georgia artist who debuted in the music world in 2004, will play afternoon and evening sets at Chayz this Saturday, one at 5:30 p.m. and one at 8:30 p.m. Each show requires separate admission and smart attire is required.

David’s biggest national breakthrough came in 2006 when he scored a huge R&B hit with “Words,” a duet with neo-soul superstar India.Arie. The single catapulted previous album Acey Duecy into the top ten of the Billboard charts and established David as a genuine presence on the modern soul music scene.

Words earned David a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2009, as well as two NAACP Image Award nominations, both signs that David was a force to be reckoned with. And over the next decade, he delivered on that promise by releasing five more albums (the most recent of which is 2023’s Heaven: The Best Of Anthony David) and scoring more hit singles on the R&B charts, most notably 2011’s 4Evermore, which peaked at No. 18.

Although he was born in Savannah, David moved to Atlanta as an adult to pursue a career in music. One of the first people he came into contact with was India.Arie, and the two formed a friendship based in part on their shared love of ’60s and ’70s soul music. A breakthrough came when Arie released her critically acclaimed debut, Acoustic Soul, in 2002, which included a composition by David: “Part of Your Life.”

Initially, David considered himself more of a songwriter than a singer, and it took several years before he was ready to showcase his voice publicly. But then he began performing in Atlanta and building a following, modeling himself on soul greats Bill Withers and Anita Baker. He developed his own singing style, a raspy, raspy Southern baritone that suited his poetic, story-centered compositions well.

David initially signed with Atlanta-based Brash Records and released his debut album, Three Chords & the Truth, in late 2004. A masterful series of stories with a predominantly acoustic backing, the album finds David effortlessly moving across a spectrum that begins with the contemporary blues sounds of Keb’ Mo’ and ends with the acoustic soul of artists such as Arie and PJ Morton.

Lyrically, the CD was mostly about early romantic relationships, although it occasionally delved into more complex themes, including urban social issues (“Krooked Kop”), personal spirituality (“The Water/The Fire”), and a sad family tradition of marital infidelity (“Cheatin’ Man”). Musically, the CD was even more impressive, with David’s laid-back vocals covering a dozen solid, melodic blues, soul, folk, and even reggae numbers.

This is the satisfying pattern David has followed for 20 years and it has never let him down.