Columbus native and moonlighting singer David John Stevens found himself understandably yearning to be back home in Indiana Sunday for the Indianapolis 500.
Thousands of miles away at his home in Trondheim, Norway, the 45-year-old physician who specializes in rheumatology at St. Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim in Norway did a little more than merely wish to be close to his Hoosier roots. Last week, the 1993 Columbus North High School graduate listened to his Indy 500-inspired, original country tune “Let the Best Driver Win” on radio stations in the country — and did an interview with one.
His Facebook post about the song earned the attention and a social media like from another Columbus native singer whose music has been played nearly worldwide: Americana artist Tim Grimm, one of Stevens’s musical inspirations.
The song, which begins with the opening lyric, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” echoes the praises of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the qualifying, the crowds, the pre-race build-up and more.
“Indiana is a wonderful place and I wanted to capture the feeling of the celebration that surrounds the Indy 500 and the traditions that make it so special in the world of racing,” Stevens said by email.
“I‘m proud to be from Indiana. It’s part of who I am. Living overseas I meet people everyday who don’t know a thing about Indiana and know about the USA only by what they see on the news. I want the people I meet to understand America better and I wanted to write a song that makes people feel good about being from Indiana and how it is special to be a Hoosier.”
The North freshman and sophomore class president, the son of Columbus industry and arts leaders Bob and Barb Stevens, took his first guitar lessons at Tom Pickett’s Music Center locally and then more at Indiana University, where he studied medicine. His dad proudly called the recording a “really fun song.”
The part-time musician cites artists such as John Prine, Willie Nelson, and Bobbie Lancaster as influences. At North, he also was a part of the cross country and track teams.
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David John Stevens’ song “Let the Best Driver Win,” can be heard on YouTube.com by typing in his name and the song title.
It can also be heard on Spotify at:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/21q7zgSNuHtVlCygPCSInp?si=Ze0R5rJ_SbyWUR0JdtBRtQ
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