Houston Davis
Houston Davis (born William Houston Davis; 15 December 1914 Tahlequah, Oklahoma – 15 November 1987 Jackson, Mississippi) was an American composer, arranger, teacher of music, dance band drummer, and later in his career, a justice of the peace in Hinds County, Mississippi.[1][2]
Houston Davis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Houston Davis |
| Born | December 15, 1914 Tahlequah, Oklahoma |
| Origin | Tahlequah, Oklahoma |
| Died | November 15, 1987 (aged 72) Jackson, Mississippi |
| Genres | Big band jazz; popular music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, music educator, drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1935–1962 |
Career
- Growing up and early career
As a child, Davis was born and raised in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His father, Edward Samuel Davis (1874–1952) was a barber. Davis played snare drum in a community marching band in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His father played bass horn.[3] Davis went on to study music at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (his photo is in the university's 1935 Yearbook). During college, Davis also led his own dance band. Northeastern's music faculty included Henri S. Minsky (1908–1980), a violinist who was director of bands.
Around 1936, Davis began playing drums with the Wally Stoefler Orchestra,[4] and stayed with the group until about 1940. Stoefler's press releases often singled out Davis as "that famous Oklahoma drummer."[5] At some point in his career, he then taught high school music and band.
Davis moved to Mississippi in 1942. In the latter 1950s, he wrote a number of political songs, but, was mostly composer and arranger for hire, as was advertised in a brochure published around 1960:
Houston Davis: successful composer of political songs, jingles, parodies.
- Songwriting career
Davis wrote campaign songs for Mississippi Governors Ross Barnett and Paul Johnson. He composed "Go, Mississippi," which, in 1962, became the official state song for Mississippi. He also composed country songs, such as "I'm Broke," "Girls Don't Wear Dresses Anymore," and "Crop Duster".
- Non-music career
- In 1972, Davis was elected Justice of the Peace in Hinds County, Mississippi.
- Davis ran as an Independent for mayor of Jackson,[7] losing to Russell Carlos Davis (1922–1993), a Democrat, in the June 5, 1973, general election. Russell Davis was Mayor of Jackson from 1969 to 1977.
- He wrote fiction for a national magazine[1]
Incorporation
Houston Davis Productions, Inc., was formed in Mississippi on November 21, 1963. The registered address was in Jackson, Mississippi, and the incorporators were John Gregg, Houston Davis, and Pauline M. Davis (1917–1995), wife of Houston Davis.
National recognition
- July 15, 1933: Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Davis received recognition for having held a drum roll in 1938 for 6 hours, 30 minutes, 20 seconds. The former record had been set by a member of Sousa's band.
- Davis was admitted to ASCAP in 1965.
Family
Davis was married to Pauline ("Polly") Davis (née Merian Pauline Ellsworth; 1917–1995).
Selected works
- Sheet music
- "Caracas"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- 15 June 1947; EU80333
- (unpublished)
- "Got a Rock In My Shoe"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- 15 June 1947; EU80332
- (unpublished)
- "I Wonder How Much You Love Me"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- 26 June 1947; EU81765
- (unpublished)
- "Put On The Coffee, Sarah"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- 15 January 1947; EU80334
- (unpublished)
- "There's A Star Shining Bright"
- D. Bynum (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Dolly Bynum, Jackson, Miss.
- 23 March 1947; EU67985
- (unpublished)
- "Yolanda and Joe"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- 15 June 1947; EU80335
- (unpublished)
- "Rose of My Heart"
- James Vernal Fout & Houston Davis
- Delta Records, Jackson, Mississippi
- (custom recording)
- "I'm Sending You A Kiss On A Star"
- R.S. Ricketts (words)
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © w&m Ruby Stroud Ricketts, Mount Olive, Miss.
- October 1947; EU96063
- (unpublished)
- "Think Of You"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © m Leon Daniel
- 10 September 1947; EUJ92147
- (unpublished)
- "A Tootin' Tune From A Hootin' Distance"
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © w Elma Brown Monroe
- 28 September 1947; EU95446
- (unpublished)
- "Heartbreak"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- Sadie Nordin Sallis (w&m)
- 22 April 1949; EU164320
- (unpublished)
- "I Do, I Do, I Do"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © w & m Sadie Nordin Sallis
- 25 March 1949; EUI61837
- (unpublished)
- "Sand Castles"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © w & m Sadie Nordin Sallis
- 25 March 1949; EUI61836
- (unpublished)
- "That Cozy Little Cabin"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © w & m Sadie Nordin Sallis
- 25 February 1949; EU158212
- (unpublished)
- "When God Made You"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © w & m Sadie Nordin Sallis
- 21 April 1949; EU164819
- (unpublished)
- You Can't Hold His Hand While You Still Hold My Heart"
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © w & m Sadie Nordin Sallis
- 25 March 1949; EUI61838
- (unpublished)
- "I Want To Write A Song For The Hit Parade"
- William Houston Davis (music)
- © w Ruby Stroud Ricketts
- 8 August 1949; EU175503
- (unpublished)
- "I'll Be Blue, When I Paint The Town Red"
- Sadie Nordin Sallis (words)
- William Houston Davis & Jerry Lane (music)
- © Sadie Nordin Sallis & William Houston Davis
- 17 July 1950; EU209639
- (unpublished)
- "Gotta Go, Baby"
- Diamond Record Co., employer for hire
- of William Houston Davis
- © Diamond Record Co.
- 7 January 1952; EU260399
- (unpublished)
- In E♭ major
- © Jackson Board of Realtors
- 17 September 1962; EP167366
- OCLC 20005003[lower-roman 1]
- (manuscript)
- Houston Davis (w&m)
- © Jackson Board of Realtors
- 17 September 1962; EP167366
- OCLC 656249381
- "Roll With Ross, He's His Own Boss"
- W. Houston Davis (w&m)
- © Ross R. Barnett
- 27 February 1959; EU564630
- (unpublished)
- "Little Carrol's Last Stand"
- Houston Davis (w&m)
- © W.H. Davis
- New matter: new words
- 12 August 1959; EU589029
- (unpublished)
- "All I Want Is A Few Kind Words"
- Joseph Patrick Manley (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Joseph Patrick Manley
- 29 March 1954; EU352629
- (unpublished)
- "Baby Sitting"
- Marion J. LoPresto, Sr. (1919–1981) (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Marion J. LoPresto, Sr., & Houston Davis
- 23 Febreuar 1954; EU348672
- (unpublished)
- Eatin' High On The Hog"
- Ed Baker (words)
- William Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Ed Baker
- 23 February 1954; EU348497
- (unpublished)
- "I Jes' Wanna Stay In Bed"
- Joseph Patrick Manley (word)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Joseph Patrick Manley
- 29 March 1954; EU352630
- (unpublished)
- "I Worry"
- Mrs. A. A. Kirkpatrick (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Mrs. A. A. Kirkpatrick
- 24 May 1954; EU359031
- (unpublished)
- "Share With Another"
- Robert Tipp Deel (word)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Robert Tipp Deel
- 27 May 1954; EU359600
- (unpublished)
- "Wife And Mother-In-Law
- Robert Tipp Deel (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Robert Tipp Deel
- 27 May 1954; EU359601
- (unpublished)
- "Asleep In Jesus"
- Effie Price Garrett (words)
- Sammy Graham & Houston Davis (music)
- © Effie Price Garrett
- 8 November 1954l; EU376417
- (unpublished)
- "Bells"
- Mrs. A. A. Kirkpatrick (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Mrs. A. A. Kirkpatrick
- 30 December 1954; EU381296
- (unpublished)
- "Carren of Key West"
- Arlie S. Davis (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Arlie S. Davis
- 6 December 1954; EU379205
- (unpublished)
- "Oh! I Wish I Was"
- Mrs. A. A. Kirkpatrick (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Mrs. A. A. KIrkpatrick
- 11 October 1954; EU375983
- (unpublished)
- "How're You Feeling"
- Tom L. Spengler (w&m)
- William Houston Davis (arrangement)
- © Fielding L. Wright
- 20 May 1955; EU398027
- (unpublished)
- "Silver Moon Waltz"
- Grace Irene Provins & Tex Stanley (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Grace Irene Provins
- 25 May 1955; EU398839
- (unpublished)
- "Southern Charm"
- Carrie Goyette Murray (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Carrie Goyette Murray
- 4 April 1955; EU392381
- (unpublished)
- "I Missed You In My Dreams Last Night"
- Robert Lane Almond (words)
- Houston Davis & Sammy Graham (music)
- © Robert Lane Almond
- l September 1955; EU408697
- (unpublished)
- There Ain't Gonna Be No Mason–Dixon line No More"
- Lola Davis Long (words)
- Lola Davis Long, employer for hire of Houston Davis & Sammy Graham
- © Lola Davis Long
- 2 November 1955; EU4l6388
- (unpublished)
- "Big Bad Bee"
- Hazel Christine Nordan (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Hazel Christine Nordan
- 4 January 1956; EU421510
- (unpublished)
- "One Of These Days"
- Aline Marie Quarles (words)
- William Houston Davis & Sammy Graham
- © Aline Marie Quarles
- 26 October 1956; EU454674
- (unpublished)
- "Add Another Heart To Your Collection"
- Florence Mandel (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Florence Mandel
- 20 November 1964; EU854383
- (unpublished)
- "All Mississippi Is For Your, Barry"
- Houston Davis (w&m)
- © Houston Davis
- 6 October 1964; EU847101
- (unpublished)
- "Blue Mood"
- Grace Y. Ward (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- 2 p. © Grace Y. Ward
- 8 December 1964; EU857121
- (unpublished)
- "Dirty Cotton Picking Machine"
- Hilary Lewis (w&m)
- Houston Davis (arrangement)
- 2 p. © Hilary C. Lewis
- 17 December 1964; EU858154
- (unpublished)
- "HR7152"
- Houston Davis,
- Davis
- 13 July 1964; EU833962
- (unpublished)
- Note: H.R. 7152 is the Civil Right Act of 1964
- "I Can Never Be Lonesome"
- Gertrude Seaborn (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Gertrude Seaborn
- l6 July 1964; EU834988
- (unpublished)
- "I Love You"
- Ernest C. Rowell (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- 2 p. © Ernest C. Rowell
- 13 August 1964; EU838949
- (unpublished)
- "I Will Always Whooop It Up For Mississippi"
- William D. Waugh (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © William D. Waugh & Houston Davis
- 13 July 1964; EU833961
- (unpublished)
- "King Lyndon"
- Houston Davis (w&m)
- © Houston Davis
- 3 September 1964; EU842366
- (unpublished)
- Note: Reference to LBJ
- "My Little Ole Door"
- J.L. Carter (words), pseudonym of Hilary C. Lewis
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Hilary C. Lewis
- 6 November 1964; EU852324
- (unpublished)
- "1994"
- Houston Davis (w&m)
- © Houston Davis
- 28 July 1964; EU836465
- (unpublished)
- "Sandy"
- Fred Maass, Jr. (words)
- Houston Davis Productions, Inc. (music)
- © Fred Maass, Jr.
- 2 October 1964; EU846530
- (unpublished)
- "The South Bend Polka"
- Eve Rene Corle (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © Eve Rene Corle
- 28 September 1964; EU846081
- (unpublished)
- "Springtime In Georgia"
- John B. Skipper (words)
- Houston Davis (music)
- © John B. Skipper
- 13 November 1964; EU853297
- (unpublished)
Brief biographies of song collaborators
- Tom L. Spengler, Jr., in 1957, was manager of Godwin Adv. Agency, Jackson, Mississippi
- Sammy Graham led a band in Mississippi
- Diamond Record Co., Inc., was an affiliate of Trumpet Records. Diamond was formed as Diamond Record Co., Inc., in 1950 when a white woman named Lillian McMurry and her husband Willard purchased a hardware store on Farish Street in Jackson, MS., then a location on the boundary between the city's white and black business and entertainment districts.
- Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Milton, and James Waller — all of these musical powerhouses furthered their recording careers at a little record company-label on once-thriving Farish Street, the historic black district of Jackson, Mississippi. These blues, gospel, and R&B all-stars are featured in Trumpet Records-Diamonds.
- Disambiguation
- Not to be confused with the New York company, Diamond Records, owned in 1947 by Irving Gwirtz.
- Not to be confused with the New York company, Diamond Records, founded in 1961 by former Roulette Records executive Joe Kolsky.
Selected discography
Delta Recording Corp. recorded the original version of "Go, Mississippi" at its studio in Jackson, Mississippi, at 1653 Raymond Road. The label, which had an office in New York City in the early 1950s at 236 West 55th Street (Midtown Manhattan), was founded by Jim Bulleit (né James Albert Bulleit; 1908–1988) and Jimmie Ammons (né James Douglas Ammons; 1919–2001).[8][9] Ammons's main occupation was that of a machinist in Jackson, Mississippi. Delta was noted for its custom recording work, which included recording weddings, church choirs, and college choirs. Delta also produced recordings for the foreign language department of Ole Miss. Delta also produced many jingles for numerous radio stations. Delta recorded radio stations all over Mississippi for ASCAP. When Mississippi was searching for a state song, Delta Recording Studio reportedly recorded all the state university bands in search of the song that would truly be representative of the state.[10][11][12]
- Original recording
- Delta Records 133 (45 rpm) (released 1962)
- Governor Ross R. Barnett Campaign Souvenir: 1959 Campaign Songs
- Jerry Lane Orchestra, Maurice Thompson Singers ₳
- Houston Davis Productions, Inc.
- OCLC 874137334
- 133-657: Side 1
- 133-656: Side 2
- "Roll With Ross" (© 1959)[lower-roman 2]
- "Little Carrol's Last Stand" (© 1959) [lower-roman 3] †
- † The copyright for "Little Carrol's Last Stand" was previously registered as "The Battle of New Orleans." "Little Carrol's Last Stand" was a political campaign attack song by commissioned by Ross Barnett against Lieutenant Governor Carroll Gartin in 1959. Barnett defeated Gartin to become Governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964.
- ‡ Jerry Lane was a dance band leader and trombonist from Jackson, Mississippi. Former band members include Tom "Bones" Malone.[13]
- ₳ The Maurice Thompson Singers were a small vocal ensemble from Jackson, Mississippi, founded and conducted by S. Maurice Thompson (1903–1973). Thompson, a radio broadcast pioneer, had moved to Jackson in 1935 to be an announcer at WJDX. In the 1960s, he was the station manager for WLBT.
Disambiguation
- Not to be confused with James Houston Davis (1899–2000), singer, songwriter, bandmaster, and former Governor of Louisiana
References
Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Music, Library of Congress, Copyright Office
- Vol. 16, Part 5, No. 2, July–December 1962 (1963), pg. 1199, "MIS-SIS-SIP-PI," Houston Davis (w&m); © 17 September 1962, Jackson Board of Realtors; EP167366
- Vol. 13, Part 5, No. 1, January–June 1959 (1960), pg. 453, "Roll With Ross; He's His Own Boss," Houston Davis (w&m); © 27 February 1959, Ross R. Barnett; EU564630
- Vol. 13, Part 5, No. 2, July–December 1959 (1960), pg. 1397, "Little Carrol's Last Stand," Houston Davis (w&m); © 12 August 1959, W.H. Davis; EU589029
General inline citations
- ASCAP Biographical Dictionary (4th ed.), compiled for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, by Jaques Cattell Press, R.R. Bowker (1980), pg. 114; OCLC 7065938, 516213921
- "Introducing Houston Davis: Successful Composer of Political Songs, Jingles, Parodies" (promotional literature) (1960), OCLC 70235106
- 1923 "Photo of Marching Band in Tahlequah" (uploaded by Paul Davis August 4, 1914), U.S. Gen Web Archives Project (www
.usgwarchives ) (retrieved May 25, 2016).net - "Kennywood Pavilian Gets Stoefler Next," Pittsburgh Gazette, August 22, 1936, pg. 8 (retrieved May 27, 2016, via www
.newspapers ).com /image /88915949 - "Wally Stoefler at Enna Jettick," Cato Citizen (Cato, Louisiana), August 15, 1940, pg. 7, col. 1
- "Ross Barnett For Governor Campaign Song," posted by Bob Purse of Arlington Heights, Illinois (né Robert E. Purse: born 1960), That's All Rite Mamma BlogSpot (thatsallritemama
.blogspot ), December 13, 2013 (retrieved May 27, 2016).com - "Black is Mayor of Bolton," Delta Democrat-Times (Greenville, Mississippi), May 9, 1973 (retrieved May 25, 2016, via www
.newspapers ).com /image /21431644 - Jimmie Ammons and the Delta Label," by David Evans, Blues Unlimited, No. 42, March/April 1967, pg. 6
- Jimmy Ammons and the Delta Label," by Kerry Kudlacek, Blues Unlimited, No. 48 November/December 1967, pps. 13–14
- "Trumpet Records: An Illustrated History, With Discography," by Mark Ryan, Big Nickel Publications (1992); OCLC 30320566
- "Jimmie Ammons & Delta Records," by Don Pittman (Jackson, Mississippi), Rockabilly Hall of Fame (www
.rockabillyhall ), September 20, 1999 (retrieved May 24, 2016).com - "1959 Campaign Songs: Governor Ross R. Barnett Campaign," (45 rpm records), Wm. Clyde Stewart Collection 1959–2007, Ole Miss Special Collections OCLC 875933309
- "Meet Tom Malone, USM's Homegrown Trombone-Blowin' Original Soul Man," by Dana Gower, Southern Magazine, Summer 2013, pps 33-35; OCLC 928726027
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