David Carbrey: A Life of Resilience, Creativity, and Advocacy

David Carbrey is a multifaceted artist, entrepreneur, and activist whose journey from small-town Oklahoma to the stages of Los Angeles and beyond embodies resilience, creativity, and an unyielding commitment to uplifting others.

Born and raised in rural Oklahoma during the 1970s and ’80s, David’s early life was marked by challenges that forged his indomitable spirit. At the age of four, he lost his foot in a lawnmower accident, making him a target for bullies in an era when childhood could be unforgiving. Rather than retreat, David learned to stand his ground—literally and figuratively. He lost his first fight but never another, emerging victorious in every encounter, including a pivotal one at age 15 where he defended his mother from a drunk and abusive step-father. These experiences instilled in him a profound belief in true strength: not the power to dominate, but the courage to elevate and protect the vulnerable.

From a young age, David was a natural performer, unable to contain his boundless energy and charisma. His parents’ dinner guests often found their evenings hijacked by his impromptu entertainments, and teachers struggled to keep the ADHD-fueled whirlwind quiet. This flair for the spotlight led him to the stage early-on, landing a lead role as Absalom in the musical A Song for Gar as early as grade school.

While it wasn’t his focus, David was cast in several musical/dramatic stage performances throughout his youth and college years, including a musical sequel to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and being painted blue to portray the Genie from “Aladdin”. He also starred as “the Serpent” in a musical portrayal of the garden of Eden, wherein he performed a slightly altered version of, “Mean Green Mother” from, “Little Shop of Horrors”.

He also dabbled in garage bands, singing with gusto despite sporadic gigs—one memorable exception being a thrilling pre-teen birthday party performance at a roller rink, where the band got to arrive in a limo, complete with an under-aged chauffer! Music became his outlet, though he picked-up and set down the guitar multiple times, before it truly stuck.

David’s path took a defining turn at the University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!), where he majored in life lessons as much as academics. There, at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, he met lifelong friends and musical mentors Christopher Holt, later of the Eagles and the Dirty Knobs – and Wayman McAlester of Portal Immortal – a revolving tribute project in which David also participated – paying tributes to the greats like Eagles, Phil Collins & Genesis, Stevie Wonder, etc. (David also designed the logo for Portal Immortal, creating a unique font wherein each letter was a caricature of a famous rockstar!)

Living together, Carbrey & Holt honed their craft, with David providing vocals to Chris’s emerging talent. They gigged up to four nights a week, boasting a setlist of over 200 songs. David stood as best man at Chris’s wedding and watched with pride as his friend ascended to stardom, sharing a surreal moment seeing him trade solos with Joe Walsh during an Eagles performance at the Sphere in April.

After college, David bartended in Norman, Oklahoma, to pay off debts before chasing dreams to Los Angeles, crashing with award-winning director friend Richard Farmer – also a Sigma Chi brother.

His Hollywood immersion was swift: just 48 hours in, he PA’d on a Bud Light ,Super Bowl commercial. “Paper or Plastic?”

A year at Santa Monica’s Crash Films as office PA and video vault-manager where he oversaw the digitizing of the entire vault, he launched a decade in props, art department, and production for music videos, shorts, and commercials.

Highlights included set dressing for live broadcasts featuring icons like Tony Bennett, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Goo Goo Dolls, Christina Aguilera, Iggy Pop, Beck, Carlos Santana, Incubus, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, and Macy Gray. He also worked on MTV’s Doggie-Fizzle Televizzle with Snoop Dogg, rubbing shoulders with Warren G.

David’s celebrity encounters revealed the human side of stardom. Tom Hanks, uninterested in sycophants praising his blockbusters, beamed when David mentioned Joe Versus the Volcano and The Volunteers. Angelina Jolie, contemplating adoption, shared a candid lunch chat after David boldly sat beside her amid a packed lunch room full of cast & crew. Keanu Reeves impressed with his humility—arriving solo on his motorcycle, focusing on efficiency to get the team home early, and hanging out on the props truck during breaks. Val Kilmer and Colin Farrell rounded out star-studded still shoots where David served as lead man, under Art Director Ed Murphy.

A writers’ strike in the early 2000s—ironically birthing reality TV’s rise—forced David’s exit from LA. He relocated to Colorado, managing a campaign office for progressive ballot initiatives, helping shift the state toward a more balanced political hue. A failed marriage drew him back to Oklahoma’s red dirt to regroup. There, he managed a high-end wine shop in Nichols Hills while fronting his “insurgent country” band, Butch Cavendish, and crafting his album Dead Horse to Nowhere.

Butch Cavendish was David’s main project for over a decade, featuring some amazing players including both Holt and McAllister, performing his favorite insurgent country artists’ songs, he took Butch from Colorado to OKC, to Dallas, and back to OKC, then to Fort Smith – where he hooked-up with current musical brother-in-arms, Mark Benson.

Fate intervened when childhood friend Bryan Warren introduced him to event insurance. Joining Helios Insurance Group as a DBA under Direct Event Insurance (DEI), David leveraged his production expertise to build a thriving niche. But internal rot—shady practices, fund commingling, and what David termed, “faux conscious capitalism” from leaders like Luke Sweetser and John Oden—clashed with his values. As a progressive at heart, David saw through the facade.

When they ousted Bryan, he halted work, stopped coming in, penned a scathing “Jerry Maguire-style” manifesto, and confronted the executives in a company meeting.

Subsequently, John was eventually let go for unethical practices, and though Bryan wasn’t reinstated, David stayed briefly. Helios crumbled without his revenue stream, gifting him the website and IP. He formed an LLC, buying out his phone to keep serving clients ethically. This year marks a decade of running DEI with integrity, prioritizing value over greed.

Today, David co-fronts three bands with Mark — “Butch Cavendish” (Americana/country), “Rhythm Coalition” (Southern Soul/Funk), and “The Accidentals” (Hook-filled hard rock) —with the same core musicians, blending his lifelong passions.

Yet his drive extends beyond art and business. Sickened by societal drift from core values like kindness and sharing—lessons from Sunday school and kindergarten—he decries “Non-Player Characters” (NPCs) leading us astray. David champions “The Path”: a universal ethos of mutual uplift, transcending religion, race, or creed. As an activist, he speaks out against global strongmen punching down on the “little guy,” building a community around truth, justice, and elevation.

David also serves as caregiver to 2 aging parents – each with a different kind of cancer, and living in 2 separate residences, which keeps him hopping – but he feels that is why we are all here – to serve one another – and subsequently, make the world better.

In a world quick to label advocates as “soft,” David’s story proves otherwise. From childhood fighter to Hollywood insider, entrepreneur, caregiver, and musician, he stands firm: strength lies in lifting others.

This is David Carbrey—resilient, creative, and unapologetically on The Path.