Formed by childhood friends Dave Davis, son of noted writer/editor/publisher of Automotive magazine and other publications, and Michael Smith, The Blind were a short-lived but intense project rounded out by guitarist Dave Rice, who joined following his playing & recording with Algebra Mothers, and Kyle Cunningham on bass. Following Cunningham’s departure, Davis moved to bass for a time with Jay White on guitar.

Taking its name from the phrase “the blind leading the blind”, the band started playing shows in 1979. But, The Blind was also able to find a cheap place to live, set up a sound muffled band room with a four-track TEAC tape recorder that allowed the band to make dozens of demo recordings cheap and easy.

Although the members said they enjoyed the creativity the band allowed, a combination of factors, including Davis’s penchant for arguing with club owners, started to fray the band apart by fall of 1980. Smith also said The Blind faced some political intrigue during the 1980 Republican National Convention at Cobo Hall in Detroit when the group was forced to move out of their downtown apartment on short notice due to overzealous g-men.

After The Blind, Rice and Smith went on to form L-Seven. Smith later joined members of the band Razor 1922 to create Figures on a Beach. Davis died in 2015.

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4 thoughts on “The Blind

  1. Dave also played with Mike Davis of MC5 fame in a gig called “the Rite”. Out of A2 in 1980 or so. He remained friends with Davis until Mike died in Tucson,Az.

    1. Hey Peg! I know Dave kept a YouTube account with videos for The Blind, but I can’t find it for the life of me. Do you happen to know what it’s under?
      Hope you get this; it’s hard keeping track of folks since dropping off social media. Hope you’re well – love to you.

  2. Cunningham once confronted rumored ultra leftist solo artist M-50 back stage at Bookies with the statement “We hear you are a communist. We are Nazis.” Rice and Smith later formed a short lived 3 piece band named “Zero Ambiance” which practiced at a building on East Jefferson toward Belle Island. Rice made amazing demo tapes at that time with spacey lyrics., eg., “Listen to the cars burning in the asphalt, asphalt, my fault, sorry.”

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