By the age of fourteen David was playing in a rock band, a year later in a folk group, and by the close of his teens was the pianist in an avant-garde ensemble.
His early musical influences included Lightnin' Hopkins, Townes Van Zandt, Lydia Mendoza, and Jerry Jeff Walker.
Rodriguez's musical aspirations underwent an eight-year hiatus that began in 1979 when he moved to Austin to pursue a profession in the legal field.
[6] The Democratic party did not expect Rodriguez to perform exceptionally well at the polls due to the generally liberal nature of his politics.
After this defeat, David decided to sever ties with his legal practice for good and dedicate the rest of his life to music.