Fiddler David Varnado of Port Arthur has played for some of country music's biggest stars, including Loretta Lynn, Ty England, Johnny Paycheck, Sammy Kershaw, Jo-El Sonnier, George Jones, and Neil McCoy. Varnado received the 2017 American Fiddler Association's Legend Award, the 2018 Johnny Gimble Fiddler of the Year Award, and has been named Fiddler of the Year six times by Texas Country Music Association. In 2020 David was placed on the Star Music Walk of Fame in front of City Hall in Vidor, Texas.
​
Varnado started playing the fiddle when he was five years old. His father taught him, and by the time he was ten, he was playing in a local Cajun band. His father also brought him to meet the famous Cajun fiddle player Rufus Thibodeaux who mentored him. At eighteen, he started playing with George Dearborne and Branded.  
​
One of his favorite experiences was playing for Chris Ledoux, which he described as "A rockin' rodeo show. A lot of pyrotechnics and very different from the traditional country music I'd been playing, and I loved it." He also thought that Loretta Lynn "treated her band like royalty," which made working for her a pleasure.
​
Varnado continues to play and record.