Daniel's debut EP, released 2000
the songs
Altar Boy
I Still Need You Tonight Believe Nature of Love Constant Faithfulness
the players
Daniel Link - vocals, keys
Cheri Chilcote - backing vocals, acoustic guitar David Breaux - electric & rhythm guitars
the hype
JANUARY
DanielLink.com launches
Out of the Silence debut EP releases
JULY
AUGUST
Constant Faithfulness named AIDS Walk Austin Theme Song, Daniel & Cheri headline, playing for an audience of 50,000
DECEMBER
I Still Need You Tonight
1st Place Winner,
Austin Songwriter's Competition
(Left) Daniel w/ Cheri after accepting 1st place "Best Country Song" for I Still Need You Tonight at Austin's legendary blue's club, Antones
the back stories
BELIEVE 1994 - 1997
JULY, 1994
Daniel & Cheri debut Believe
@ Austin's Chicago House Open Mic Night
MAY, 1995
Daniel returns to Fort Worth to take care of his partner, John, who lost his battle w/ AIDS in October, '96.
JANUARY, 1997 Daniel returns to Austin JULY, 1997 Daniel & Cheri record Believe, w/ David Breaux on additional guitars, bass + percussion.
original demo co-written w/ Daniel's first partner, John Hofstrand
"It's ironic to me that the first song I recorded in Austin was Believe, because at the time I had absolutely no faith in myself. But I wrote it with John, and he had a way of seeing me in ways no one else could at the time.
Cheri would drive up to Fort Worth in those days, and the three of us would hang out with guitars and a baby grand piano and sing Believe & I Still Need You Tonight over & over. We would get goose bumps, because our voices blended so beautifully together.
The plan was that one day, John would come down to Austin & record with us. But he didn't make it. After he died, I moved back to Austin so Cheri & I could carry on with our music, in John's honor." -Daniel
the video
"By the time we filmed this video, I had built the band around Cheri & I, but I wanted David Breaux to sit in with us on keys, since he was the guy who filled John's musical shoes, recorded the Believe demo and subsequent EP Out of the Silence that followed. This performance of Believe captures the essence of our musical chemistry and continuity."
SEPTEMBER, 1997 Daniel recovers from drug & alcohol abuse
ALTAR BOY 1998 - 1999
"The impact from John's death, and finding myself newly sober a year later was a fundamental shift in my life trajectory. Not only did I have to find out who I was without John, but I had to discover who I was under years of addiction. While I knew I was a good songwriter, I had no idea what I was doing, or even if I could navigate the music industry as a serious musician. I didn't know if I was good enough to be a working musician.
I wasn't sure if my songwriting would be the same either. It was this questioning and inner exploration that led me to write Altar Boy."
welcome to the stage
Daniel & Cheri begin booking local gigs at local coffee houses & become the darlings of the Borders Books & Music circuit.
The duo returns to David Breaux @ Cutting Edge Studio in South Austin to record the debut EP Out of the Silence.