The name David Alexis pulls up two very different musicians, and both of them have built careers that most people in the industry would respect. One is a Boston-born jazz vocalist and Berklee College of Music professor. The other is a Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter who worked with Capitol Records, helped define a sound in the 1980s, and later became known to a broader audience as the long-term husband of Twin Peaks and Riverdale actress Mädchen Amick.
If you’ve been searching for David Alexis the musician and landed here wondering which one you’re after, this covers both. Because honestly, they’re both worth your time.
David Alexis, Jazz Vocalist and Berklee Professor
David Alexis is a Boston native who sings with soul and sensibility beyond his years. His style cuts across jazz, gospel, and R&B, and those who hear him live consistently comment on his harmonic sense and stage presence.
He’s what musicians call a “singer’s singer.” Alexis has shared stages with Jennifer Holliday, Richard Smallwood, Donald Lawrence, Tremaine Hawkins, Common, and many others. His credits include roles in Anything Goes, Little Shop of Horrors, and Boston’s famous Black Nativity.
At just 14, in 2002, he performed with “3 Mo’ Tenors” as a background vocalist. That kind of early stage experience at elite venues has a way of shaping a performer for life.
His Venues and Performing Career
He has appeared at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ryle’s, the Wang Center, Shubert Theatre, Emerson Majestic, Madison Square Garden, and TD Bank North, among many others. That’s not a list you build without years of serious, consistent work.
Alexis has served as an arranger and ensemble leader for various groups including the City Music All-Stars. Arranging is a different skill set from performing, and the fact that he does both well is what separates him from vocalists who can sing but can’t build a song from the ground up.
Education and Teaching at Berklee
David completed his undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music on a full-tuition merit scholarship. He later completed a Master of Public Administration to deepen his understanding of how performing arts can function as a cultural institution.
Today, he identifies himself as a vocalist, arranger, and educator, and serves as a Professor at Berklee College of Music. His Instagram bio puts it plainly: “Lover of music and people.”
His teaching philosophy keeps things practical. “I believe that being immersed in current trends of music makes music practical for students,” he said. “I keep it current, keep it fresh.”
David Alexis, Producer, Songwriter, and Mädchen Amick’s Husband
This is David Alexis who made charts. Born in 1962, he was adopted by a Baptist minister father and a mother who served as Superintendent of Corrections for the State of New Mexico. That background, defined by structure, discipline, and faith, shaped everything that came after.
His early years were spent primarily in church, where music came naturally to him. By his teens, he had also become one of the top sprinters and jumpers in the country, taking second in long jump and third in the 100-yard dash at a national championship, and running as the starting leg of a world-record-setting relay team.
Sport and music ran parallel for years. He was offered several football scholarships to universities including Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas Tech, but the death of his father at age 13 derailed that path. Without that guidance, he eventually joined the army and was later discovered playing intramural football in Hawaii by the head coach of the Hawaii Warriors, who offered him a scholarship. Then his mother died of a sudden heart attack, and he lost his passion for sports entirely.
What he turned to next changed his life.
From Church Boy to Capitol Records
After reuniting with a childhood friend whose new band had just signed with CBS Records, David joined the group. By 1985, he had moved to Los Angeles and become a highly sought-after young music producer, working with artists including Sly and the Family Stone, Lakeside, Beat Club, and Mtume.
After building his name as a producer and songwriter, David signed a solo artist deal with Capitol Records. That’s not a footnote. Capitol Records in the 1980s was one of the most influential labels in American music.
Mädchen Amick has shared publicly that her husband once reached the top 10 in the music charts, though specific chart positions and release titles are difficult to verify independently. His soul/funk track “You Are a Lady,” which he wrote for her, resurfaced online when she posted a clip of it in November 2020 with the caption: “I still get butterflies (yes, 30 years later) when I see this man’s face and hear his voice.”
That kind of staying power, both in marriage and in music, is rare.
How He Met Mädchen Amick
David Alexis met Mädchen Amick in 1987 when both were struggling teenage artists in Los Angeles. She was his neighbor at the time, and their relationship began as a friendship, with Alexis helping her with her singing as a personal music trainer before the friendship grew into something more.
They married on December 16, 1995. Their wedding, by multiple accounts, was a cross-cultural ceremony. The groom wore a black Yoruba tribal robe with white accents while the bride channeled Audrey Hepburn’s famous Givenchy look in off-white.
They’ve been together for over 35 years. In Hollywood terms, that’s practically mythological.
Their Family and Don’t MiND Me
David and Mädchen welcomed their son Sylvester Time Amick-Alexis on July 5, 1992, and their daughter Mina Tobias Amick-Alexis on September 2, 1993. Both children inherited their father’s athletic genes. Sylvester attended the University of California Irvine and Mina graduated from Cornell University, both on full athletic scholarships in track and field.
When Sylvester was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the family faced the confusion, high costs, and limited options that so many families encounter when seeking mental health care. Rather than keeping it private, they turned that experience into a mission.
Don’t MiND Me is the mental health nonprofit the Amick-Alexis family created. It focuses on reducing stigma, improving access to care, and supporting people who face financial barriers to treatment. David serves as founder and Golf Tournament Chair, while Mädchen acts as President and Board Chair.
The family also produces a podcast of the same name, hosted by Mädchen and daughter Mina Tobias, exploring how a mental illness diagnosis in the family led them to re-evaluate their own wellbeing and mental health practices.
What Both David Alexis Musicians Share
Set the two men side by side and a pattern emerges. Both prioritised craft over celebrity. Both built careers defined by teaching and mentorship as much as performance. And both have stayed deeply grounded in the community.
The Berklee David Alexis is dedicated to “espousing the healing power of music through non-profit arts organisations and educational initiatives.” The producer David Alexis co-founded a mental health foundation after his family faced its most challenging chapter.
Two different lives. Same instinct: use what you know to help someone else.
FAQ
Who is David Alexis the musician?
There are two notable musicians named David Alexis. One is a Boston-born jazz vocalist and Assistant Professor in the Harmony Department at Berklee College of Music. The other is a Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter, born in 1962, who signed with Capitol Records in the 1980s and is married to actress Mädchen Amick.
What is David Alexis known for musically?
The Berklee-affiliated David Alexis is known for his work across jazz, gospel, and R&B, as well as his performances at venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. The producer David Alexis is known for his work with artists including Sly and the Family Stone and Mtume, and for charting as a solo artist.
Is David Alexis married to Mädchen Amick?
Yes. David Alexis (the producer and songwriter) married Twin Peaks and Riverdale actress Mädchen Amick on December 16, 1995. They have been together since 1987.
What is Don’t MiND Me?
Don’t MiND Me is a mental health nonprofit founded by the Amick-Alexis family. It was created following son Sylvester’s bipolar diagnosis and focuses on reducing mental health stigma and improving access to care for those with financial barriers.
Does David Alexis teach music?
The Berklee College of Music David Alexis is an active educator, teaching subjects including harmony, performance skills, music theory, vocal and instrumental arranging, and music production.
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