David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Raised by his mother and grandmother, Adams dropped out of school at age 16 and performed with several local bands before moving to Raleigh and forming the band Whiskeytown.

Three albums and five years later, Adams went solo, releasing Heartbreaker in 2000. A longtime resident of New York City, Adams is probably best known for his song "New York, New York", which appeared on his 2001 release Gold. He has since released five more solo albums and three albums with his band, The Cardinals. His latest release, Cardinology, was released on October 28, 2008.

Adams has also produced albums by Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson and contributed to the albums of artists, including: Toots and the Maytals, Beth Orton, The Wallflowers, Jesse Brand, Minnie Driver, Counting Crows, America and Cowboy Junkies. He also appeared on CMT Crossroads with Elton John.