Dave Carroll

Joined MOCM Mar 3, 2024.
Dave Carroll is an award winning singer-songwriter, professional speaker, author and social media innovator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He began his music career with his brother Don in the band Sons of Maxwell and has been enjoying success as a solo artist since 2008. He released his debut solo album Perfect Blue in 2008 and a second solo album in 2012 called Raincoat in Vegas. For over two decades, Dave has charmed fans with his approach to music. His ability to extract the essence of a message and craft it into song is a rare gift that is attracting fans of all ages, while his sense of humour and disarmingly warm stage presence makes each live experience a memorable one for audiences around the world.

Known as a master storyteller, Dave’s incredible talent was introduced to millions when his 2009 anthem ‘United Breaks Guitars’ became a worldwide sensation. The song chronicled his experience in the customer service process with United Airlines. His creative use of social media to share that message as an Independent Musician, has reached over 150 million people. As the #1 most watched YouTube Music Video in the world in July 2009, United Breaks Guitars has been called ‘one of the most important [videos] in Google’s history,’ and became a metaphor for change and innovation. Dave Carroll and United Breaks Guitars are now recognized as ‘household names.’ United Breaks Guitars won the 2009 Music Nova Scotia Video of the Year Award and Dave Carroll was award the 2009 Music Nova Scotia Digital Artist of the Year. Dave was also nominated for the 2010 ECMA for Entertainer of the Year.

The United Breaks Guitars trilogy has awakened companies everywhere to the importance of focusing on the customer and on delivering exceptional customer experience. Dave Carroll is a musician with a message, demonstrating the power one voice can have in today’s socially driven world. Dave has become internationally famous as one of the world’s top media relations innovators & customer experience authorities. He is also widely sought after as a content creator & songwriter.

Dave has been featured in major news media around the world (including ABC’s ‘The View,’ ABC’s 20/20, CNN, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone Magazine, Wall Street Journal & BBC to name a few). Several case studies and book references about United Breaks Guitars have been published including one’s by Harvard Business School, University of Toronto and a Thesis by Allison Soule for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On February 16th, 2011, Dave Carroll and United Breaks Guitars were featured as part of a question/answer on the hit show Jeopardy.

Dave has testified (and sung) on Capitol Hill in Washington, delivered keynotes at Columbia University’s Brite Conference, TedX Hoboken, NewComm Forum, Mesh Conference, Atlantic Brand Confabulation (with Gene Simmons), SXSW Interactive, The Power of PR CPRS Conference, G-Force Prague, G-Force Melbourne & other significant customer service & corporate events (including for RightNow Technologies & Sandvik Coromant).

In 2010 Dave’s song and video ‘Everyday Heroes’ was released on 911Song.com. In a world where broken promises are commonplace, when it counts most, there are people willing to help strangers because they gave their word that they would. The essence of ‘Everyday Heroes’ is about these individuals keeping their promise to respond, regardless of who is in need or the unknown risks that may await the First Responders. As a volunteer firefighter himself for 5 years, Dave wrote ‘Everyday Heroes’ after being challenged by a friend to honour those who answer the call.

In May, 2012 Dave Carroll wrote a book about his customer experience called, “United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media”, published by Hay House Publishing. Whether you are a guitarist, a baggage handler, or a boardroom executive, this book will entertain you and remind you that we are all connected, that each of us matters, and that we all have a voice worth hearing.

Dave’s newest music project, Raincoat in Vegas, is an eclectic mix of carefully crafted songs that demonstrate Dave’s growth as songwriter and performer. The depth of musical styles offered by “Raincoat in Vegas” range from Pop-Folk to Singer-Songwriter to Americana. What weaves through all of the songs, and results in a complete and refreshing album experience, is the vivid and often deeply personal stories that Dave tells with such mastery of the storytelling art.

Said to be ‘one of the nicest guys in the business,’ Dave Carroll is one of Canada’s brightest shining stars.’

Awards and Accomplishments
EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS (ECMA)
WIN 2006 Vibe Marketing Country Recording of the Year (Sunday Morning) with Sons of Maxwell

WIN 2002 Roots Traditional Album of the Year (Among The Living) with Sons of Maxwell

Nomination 2010 Entertainer of the Year

Nomination 2010 Fan’s Choice Video of the Year

Nomination 2010 Fan’s Choice Favourite Artist

Nomination 2009 Male Solo Recording of the Year (Perfect Blue)

Nomination 2009 Pop Recording of the Year (Perfect Blue)

2009 SOCAN Songwriter’s Circle

Nomination 2006 Group Recording of the year (Sunday Morning) with Sons of Maxwell

NOVA SCOTIA MUSIC AWARDS
WIN 2009 Digital Artist of the Year

WIN 2009 Video of the Year – United Breaks Guitars

WIN 2008 Inspirational Album of the Year (Perfect Blue)

WIN 2000 Group of the Year (with Sons of Maxwell)

Nomination 2010 Digital Artist of the Year

Nomination 2009 Male Artist Recording of the Year

Nomination 2009 SOCAN Songwriter of the Year

Nomination 2008 Country Album of the Year (Perfect Blue)

2008 Nova Scotia Music Awards – Songwriters Circle Showcase

2006 Nominations Country Recording, Group Recording & Pop/Rock album of the year (Sunday Morning) – with Sons of Maxwell

CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS
Nomination 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards – Contemporary Singer of the Year

ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
Nomination 2008 Ontario Independent Music Awards – Best Canadian Artist (not from Ontario)

HOLLYWOOD MUSIC AWARDS
Nomination for 2008 Hollywood Music Awards – Male Vocalist of the Year Category

SONGWRITING CONTESTS
Winner 11th Annual Great American Song Contest (Country Category) w/ United Breaks Guitars (2009)

Nomination 2008 Independent Singer Songwriter Contest – Singer Songwriter of the Year

Finalist in the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest (Great Divide)

Runner Up in the 2008 Singer/Songwriter Awards (Great Divide)

Shortlisted in the 2008 Australian Songwriting Contest (Great Divide)

1st Place in the 12th Annual Unisong Int’l Songwriting contest (Acoustic/Folk) (Now)

Winner July 2008 (monthly winner) 12th Annual Unisong Int’l Songwriting contest (Now)

Finalist 12th Annual Unisong Int’l Songwriting Contest (AAA/Americana) (Great Divide)

Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting Award 2008 Great American Song Contest (Now)

Honorable Mention 2008 Mid Atlantic Song Contest () (Now)

Semi-finalist in the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest (Now)

Finalist in the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting contest (Now)

Shortlisted in the 2008 Australian Songwriting Contest (Now)

Honour Award in the 2008 – 100% Music Songwriting Contest (Folk/Singer songwriter) (Now)

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2012 A. D. Dunton Alumni Award of Distinction from Carleton University

Consumers’ Choice Award Man of the Year – Halifax (2010)

TIME Magazine named United Breaks Guitars #12 out of the Top 50 Greatest YouTube Hits ever (2010)

TIME Magazine named United Breaks Guitars #7 on the Top Viral Videos list of 2009

United Breaks Guitars reached #1 on the UK iTunes Country song charts in July 2009

United Breaks Guitars reached the top #14 on the iTunes Canada video charts July 2009

Perfect Blue reached the iTunes Canada top 100 albums (in July 2009 real time stats)

United Breaks Guitars in real time reached the #1 Most Viewed, Discussed & Top Rated YouTube Music Video (in July 2009)

United Breaks Guitars widely lauded as one of the most important [videos] in Google’s history

Perfect Blue CD Inspires Feature Film Entitled “NOW” (Curve Productions)

Promise to Pursue (Perfect Blue) number one on the East Coast Countdown (April 2008).

Grammy award-winning country music star Kathy Mattea recorded “The Place I Call Home” (Perfect Blue), co-written with Grammy winner Jon Vezner. The song is part of a three disk, 36-song compilation CD called “This is My America, that was released in 2009.”

2005 selected with Sons of Maxwell to perform a tour in China in September following the 2004 ECMA showcase.

2004 Based on the success of three Western Canada showcase performances, Sons of Maxwell played nearly 50 soft-seat concerts in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Completed a 17-city tour of Germany in November 2003. This was the band’s third tour of Bavaria (Sons of Maxwell)

The song “Hold On” was recognized by the Canadian Alzheimer’s Society for its strong message.
covered S.O.M. originals in live shows and recorded projects.

Showing their popularity, several artists have covered S.O.M. originals in live shows and recorded projects.