Dawayne Bailey sang along with the family radio while working at home, then taught himself the tunes, and practiced, practiced, practiced. Influenced by the British musicians of the 1960s, the young Bailey played his first guitar gig with his musical family at age 11. His senior year at MHS Bailey, playing with the band Madman, performed for his own Winter Prom. Bailey, deeply influenced by the music of Frank Zappa, also founded the band Rathbone with his brother in 1972. Bailey wrote their music, played lead guitar and sang, and Rathbone developed a
strong regional following. After a recording in LA, Bailey returned to play in KS until 1980 when, again, LA beckoned. Working and practicing, in 1982 he auditioned for lead guitar with the well-known Detroit rock legend Bob Seger and was chosen.
He played, recorded, and toured, with Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band for the next three years. In 1986, playing with a band of his own in Wichita, he was invited to join the famous band Chicago. Bailey played countless concerts, recorded and toured the world many times with Chicago from July 1986 to January 1995. He was honored with Chicago with their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Since then, he has toured in Australia and France and continues to compose, perform and record for his own label, Goblin Girl Records. In 2007, he was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of fame.