David Draiman

Draiman said, "the first record I ever bought was Kiss’ Destroyer. And those classic bands like Black Sabbath were my first loves ... I focused on the seminal metal bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pantera and Queensrÿche".

Draiman continues, "But I could also appreciate the hair metal bands – When you hear Whitesnake, you can’t deny their greatness. Then I went in the direction of punk and new wave, groups like the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Misfits and later The Smiths and The Cure – that was my '80s".

Draiman is married to former WWE Diva Lena Yada; they have a son, Samuel Bear Isamu Draiman, born in 2013, three weeks early after 23 hours of labor. Draiman is Jewish. In politics, he said "I'm liberal about everything that is issue-based as far as ideology, but I'm also of the opinion of a very small government. I don't agree with the fiscal policies of the Democrats, but I certainly don't agree with the right-wing craziness of the Republicans." Draiman was a supporter of Bernie Sanders against the Donald Trump candidacy. He also described himself as “a very, very strong supporter of Israel forever and for our people (Jewish people)." He described Roger Waters, and other activists, seeking to boycott Israel for alleged human rights abuses as "Nazi comrades".

In October 2011, Disturbed went on hiatus, and Draiman worked on an industrial rock/metal project with Geno Lenardo (former guitarist of Filter), which was later named Device; they released one album, in 2013. In June 2015, Disturbed returned with a single and a new album, Immortalized. In 2018, Disturbed released Evolution.

After returning to the US in 1992, Draiman commenced pre-law studies at Loyola University Chicago. In 1996, he graduated from the University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, Philosophy, and Business Administration. Initially considering offers to matriculate and study at law school, Draiman realized that although criminal defense law was the only area of law that interested him, he could not "really look at myself in the mirror and say 'I'm going to lie for a living and protect criminals'". During his university studies, Draiman also worked as a bank teller and in phone sales.

Draiman later enrolled at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from high school in 1991. From 1991 to 1992, he became romantically involved with a girl who used heroin and eventually committed suicide, which inspired the song "Inside the Fire". At 18 years old, on New Year's Day, Draiman attempted to do the same but woke up under a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass nearly frozen to death instead. After detoxing, Draiman described a "moment of clarity" and never did heroin again. He spent a year after high school studying at the Yeshivas Neveh Zion in Kiryat Ye'arim, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

David Michael Draiman (born March 13, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter; he is the lead singer of Disturbed and Device. Draiman has a distorted, operatic baritone voice and percussive singing style. In November 2006, Draiman was voted number 42 on the Hit Parader' s "Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time". Draiman has written some of Disturbed's most successful singles, such as "Stupify", "Down with the Sickness", "Indestructible", and "Inside the Fire".

Draiman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 13, 1973, the son of Jewish parents Miriam and YJ Draiman. His father, who was subsequently a candidate in the 2017 race for mayor of Los Angeles, and had worked as a real estate developer and small-business owner, was arrested for embezzlement and sent to prison when Draiman was 12. Draiman's brother Benjamin is an ambient/folk rock musician who lives in Israel.