Donavon Frankenreiter

Born on December 10, 1972, in Downey, CA, Donavon Frankenreiter took to surfing at a young age. By the age of 13 he had a sponsor — Billabong — and the pursuit of a professional career in surfing led to a move to Hawaii a year later. He had rented a home from the parents of Jack Johnson, a fellow surfer who would become a successful recording artist years later. The two became fast friends, learning guitar together, surfing, and just plain hanging out. Music was always fun to play for Frankenreiter, but it wasn't until 2002 that he was confident enough to try it professionally.

Meanwhile, Johnson's musical career had broken through into the mainstream, and he was starting his Brushfire Records label. With guest spots from Johnson, G. Love, and Koool G Murder of the Eels, Frankenreiter's self-titled debut appeared on Brushfire in May of 2004. For his next record, Frankenreiter broke from his mentor's label and moved to Lost Highway for the release of 2006's Move by Yourself.