David Allen Freeman

David Allen Freeman, beloved husband of Andrea, passed away on December 25th, 2023, at his home in Chapel Hill, NC at the age of 84. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mark and Polly Freeman. In addition to his wife Andrea, David is survived by his four loving children, Mark Allen Freeman (Carol) of Charlottesville, VA; Kyle William Freeman (Dana) of Charlotte, NC; Connie Lee Freeman Dawes (Adam) of Austin, TX; and Whitney Phillipa Freeman of Chapel Hill, NC; five grandchildren, Corinne and Charles Freeman, Ellie and Maggie Freeman and Jack Dawes; and brother, Stephen Freeman (Kayvan) of New York, NY.

Dave was born on May 22, 1939 in New York, NY. He grew up in Manhattan and graduated with a degree in classics from Columbia University. He was a proud New Yorker and remained an avid fan of their sports teams, especially the Mets and Rangers, his entire life. Dave met the love of his life Andrea in New York in 1971, and they were married on July 17th, 1972.

Dave was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Throughout their 51-year marriage, Dave cherished time with his devoted wife, and in the midst of a busy career was always present for his children. He instilled in them the importance of hard work, taught them to appreciate art and travel, encouraged their love of music, and facilitated their pursuit of athletic endeavors. Later in life, Dave delighted in each of his grandchildren, who will dearly miss “Grandpa.”

Dave was a man of many interests and pursued his passions both personally and professionally. As a teenager, he would take the family car from New York to Appalachia in search of 78 rpm records, which was the start of his extensive 78s collection. Dave loved old time and bluegrass music and made significant contributions to the industry through his four business ventures: County Records, a record label he started in the mid-1960s specializing in bluegrass and old time music; County Sales, a mail order business promoting that same music; Record Depot, a wholesale music distribution business and Rebel Records, a bluegrass record label. In all of his dealings he was respected as a man of great integrity, and in 2002 Dave was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

A gentle soul, Dave will be missed by all who knew and loved him. There will not be a public service at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), 4206 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN, 37216 or https://ibma.org/DavidFreeman.