David "Dave" "Stage" Williams (February 29, 1972 – August 14, 2002) was the lead singer for the band Drowning Pool. He was born in Princeton, Texas to Charles Edward and Jo-Ann Williams, and was a fixture in the Dallas music scene throughout the 1990s playing in well-known clubs. In 1999, he joined Drowning Pool. The band released the album Sinner in 2001.
Despite the hardcore, grungy attitude that he was known for during concerts, Dave Williams was highly known for his positive, friendly attitude. A statement from his bandmates during his funeral states that he was a friendly man who always made a point to give at least one person a gift and was very friendly- especially to his fans.
On August 14, 2002, Dave's collapsed in his tour bus due to cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. He was not previously diagnosed with the disease, and the cause remains unknown.
The Dallas Texas music community honored Dave and his legacy with a multi-venue music festival aptly named "Stage Fest". Stage Fest which was held in downtown Dallas' Deep Ellum district on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007, the fifth anniversary of his death, and played in seven Deep Ellum venues including Club Dada, The Curtain Club, The Liquid Lounge, The Darkside Lounge, Red Blood Club, Reno's Chop Shop, and Tomcat's.
Dave's microphone was given to Cristian Machado from Ill Niño.