BIOGRAPHY

Danny’s story, chronology, press, and favorite bands.

Danny’s Story

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From the time he was very small, Danny showed a special talent and passion for music. A singer from the start, Danny wouldn’t stop humming to eat his cereal in the morning. He learned to play the piano, and then the saxophone. In his teenage years, he discovered the acoustic guitar and began songwriting.

Danny’s music became a vibrant way of expressing his love and struggle while he lived with brain cancer for nearly three years. His appreciation of a broad range of music enriched his life and helped him cope with his challenges. Danny developed an extensive music library and was eager to introduce new artists and albums to his friends and family. Danny also loved to write.

Here’s a short autobiography Danny wrote for a senior high school project:

Autobiography

“My name is Daniel Joseph Riley. I am a leader in my high school, an ASB commissioner and active in several socially conscious clubs. I am a musician. I love to play guitar, drums, bass, piano, alto sax, and sing. I am a loving son, born and raised in California. I am an athlete of all sports, but primarily basketball and cross-country running. I am a student of history, language, love, and life. I am a poet and a politician. I am a brother and a boyfriend. I am a philosopher, friend, and comedian. I am a cousin to an enormous family of Irish Catholic heritage. I am the son of a teacher and the son of a priest. I am an optimist. Peace is always an answer. I am a movie-goer, and a sunset-watcher. I am a professional eater and mediocre chef. I am that really annoying kid in your AP Econ class with all the questions. I am white-skinned. I am a lover of learning. I am a lover of the question ‘why.’ I love mashed potatoes and banana pancakes. I love all types of good music. I am an experimentalist. I am a student of patience and modesty. I am a member of the human race. I love to wear Sandals. I love to travel. I am semi-bilingual. I am middle-class. I am interested in the future. I am a brain cancer survivor.”

Despite diagnosis with brain cancer in the middle of his junior year of high school, Danny went on to graduate in 2006 from Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California, and to attend the University of California in Santa Barbara.

In college he pursued his loves… of learning, music, and friends. He biked to class 20 days before he died on October 31, 2007, at age 19.