Reverend Gary Davis

Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis (born Gary D. Davis, April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972),[1] was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. His fingerpicking guitar style influenced many other artists. His students include Stefan Grossman, David Bromberg, Steve Katz, Roy Book Binder, Larry Johnson, Nick Katzman, Dave Van Ronk, Rory Block, Ernie Hawkins, Larry Campbell, Bob Weir, Woody Mann, and Tom Winslow.[2] He influenced Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Wizz Jones, Jorma Kaukonen, Keb' Mo', Ollabelle, Resurrection Band, and John Sebastian (of the Lovin' Spoonful).

For those of a similar name, see Gary Davies (disambiguation).

Reverend Gary Davis
in the 1960s
Background information
Birth nameGary D. Davis
Also known asBlind Gary Davis
Born(1896-04-30)April 30, 1896
Laurens, South Carolina, United States
DiedMay 5, 1972(1972-05-05) (aged 76)
Hammonton, New Jersey, United States
GenresGospel blues. Piedmont blues, country blues, folk blues
InstrumentsGuitar, Banjo, vocals
Years active1930s–1970s

Biography

Davis was born in Laurens, South Carolina, in the Piedmont region. Of the eight children his mother bore, he was one of two who survived to adulthood.[3] He became blind as an infant. He recalled being poorly treated by his mother and that his father placed him in the care of his paternal grandmother. Davis reported that when he was 10 years old his father was killed in Birmingham, Alabama; he later said that he had been told that his father was shot by the Birmingham sheriff.[4]

He sang for the first time at Gray Court's Baptist church in South Carolina.[5]

He took to the guitar and assumed a unique multivoice style produced solely with his thumb and index finger, playing gospel, ragtime, and blues tunes along with traditional and original tunes in four-part harmony.

Bull City Blues historical marker, Durham, North Carolina

In the mid-1920s, Davis migrated to Durham, North Carolina, a major center of black culture at the time. There he taught Blind Boy Fuller and collaborated with a number of other artists in the Piedmont blues scene, including Bull City Red.[2] In 1935, J. B. Long, a store manager with a reputation for supporting local artists, introduced Davis, Fuller, and Red to the American Record Company. The subsequent recording sessions (available on his Complete Early Recordings) marked the real beginning of Davis's career. During his time in Durham, he became a Christian.[2][6] In 1933, Davis was ordained as a Baptist minister in Washington, North Carolina.[5] Following his conversion and especially his ordination, Davis began to prefer inspirational gospel music.

In the 1940s, the blues scene in Durham began to decline, and Davis moved to New York.[2] In 1951, he recorded an oral history for the folklorist Elizabeth Lyttleton Harold (the wife of Alan Lomax). who transcribed their conversations in a typescript more than 300 pages long.

The folk revival of the 1960s invigorated Davis's career. He performed at the Newport Folk Festival. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his version of "Samson and Delilah", also known as "If I Had My Way", a song by Blind Willie Johnson, which Davis had popularized. Although the song was in the public domain it was copyrighted as having been written by Gary Davis at the time of the recording by Peter, Paul and Mary. The royalties that came to him then allowed him to buy a house and live comfortably for the rest of his life.[7] "Samson and Delilah" was also covered and credited to Davis by the Grateful Dead on the album Terrapin Station. The Dead also covered Davis' "Death Don't Have No Mercy". Eric Von Schmidt credited Davis with three-quarters of Schmidt's "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down", covered by Bob Dylan on his debut album for Columbia Records. The Blues Hall of Fame singer and harmonica player Darrell Mansfield has recorded several of Davis's songs. The Rolling Stones credited Davis and Mississippi Fred McDowell for "You Gotta Move" on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.

Davis died of a heart attack in May 1972, in Hammonton, New Jersey.[8] He is buried in plot 68 of Rockville Cemetery, in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York.

Discography

Many of Davis' recordings were published posthumously.

Year Title Label Number Notes
1954Blind Gary Davis – The Singing ReverendStinsonSLP 56First LP, recorded April 1954, with Sonny Terry, red vinyl
1956American Street SongsRiversideRP 12–611Side A, Pink Anderson, Carolina Street Ballads; side B, Rev. Gary Davis, Harlem Street Spirituals, recorded January 29, 1956; also released as Gospel, Blues and Street Songs, Riverside RLP 12-148 (1961), Original Blues Classics OBC 524 and OBCCD 524-2
1957Pure Religion and Bad Company77 (UK)LA 12/14Recorded June 1957 in New York City; also Folklyric 125; reissued as Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40035 (1991) with 2 additional cuts
1960Harlem Street SingerBluesville1015Recorded August 24, 1960; also Original Blues Classics 547, Fontana 688-303-ZL (UK, 1965); renamed Pure Religion! and reissued as Prestige Folklore 14028 and Prestige 7805 (1972); remastered and reissued as OBCCD-547-2 (1992); reissued as Fantasy 24704
1961A Little More FaithBluesville1032Recorded August 10, 1961, at Van Gelder Studio, EngleWood Cliffs, NJ; also XTRA 5042 (UK, 1967), OBCCD-588-2; reissued as Fantasy 24704
1961Say No to the DevilBluesville1049Also XTRA 5014 (UK, 1966) and OBCCD 519-2
1964?Pure Religion!Prestige Folklore14028Also Prestige 7805 (1972), reissue of Harlem Street Singer
1964The Guitar & Banjo of Reverend Gary DavisPrestige Folklore14033Instrumental tracks, recorded March 2, 1964, Van Gelder Studio; also Fantasy OBCCD 592-2; reissued as The Blues Guitar and Banjo of Reverend Gary Davis, Prestige 7725
1964Rev. Gary Davis/Short Stuff MaconXtra (UK)1009
196?The Legendary Reverend Gary Davis, New Blues and GospelBiograph12030EAlso Blue Moon BMLP 1.040 (c.1987)
1968Rev. Gary Davis at NewportVanguard73008Recorded 1965
1968Bring Your Money, HoneyFontana (UK)SFJL 914Recorded Cambridge, Mass.
1970Reverend Gary Davis 1935–1949YazooL-1023Also Yazoo CD 2011 (1994) as The Complete Early Recordings of Rev. Gary Davis and Document DOCD 5060 (UK, 2003) with 2 extra tracks
1971Ragtime GuitarTransatlantic (UK)TRA 244Recorded 1960–1971; also Kicking Mule 106 (1974), Sonet SNKF 133 (1977) and Heritage HT 309 (UK, 1985)
1971Children of ZionTransatlantic (UK)TRA 249Recorded 1962, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa.; also Kicking Mule 101 (1974), Sonet SNKF 152 (1978), Heritage HT 308 (UK, 1985); also on Blues & Ragtime, Shanachie 97024 (1993)
1971The Legendary Reverend Gary Davis, Blues and Gospel, Vol 2Biograph12034ERecorded March 17, 1971
1972When I Die I'll Live AgainFantasy24704Reissue of Prestige/Bluesville 1015 and 1032
1973Lo I Be with You AlwaysSonet (Sweden)SNKD 1Also Kicking Mule cassette tape (no number, 1984); reissued on Blues & Ragtime, Shanachie 97024 (1993)
1973O, Glory – The Apostolic Studio SessionsAdelphi1008Final studio album, recorded March 1969; reissued as Genes GCD 9908 (1996) with additional tracks
1973At the Sign of the SunHeritage (UK)??1962, San Diego, Calif.; also HT CD 03 (UK, 1990)
1974Let Us Get TogetherSonet (Sweden)SNKF 103Also Kicking Mule cassette tape (no number, 1984)
1976Sun Is Going DownFolkwaysFS 3542Recorded 1966
1984I Am a True VineKicking Muleno numberCassette tape
1984Babylon Is FallingKicking Muleno numberCassette tape
1985I Am a True VineHeritage (UK)HT 307Recorded 1962–63, New York City; also HT CD07 (UK, 1991)
?Reverend Gary DavisHeritage (UK)CD 02Reissue of Children of Zion and Ragtime Guitar
1988Blind Gary DavisDocument (Austria)DLP 521Recorded live, spring 1966, at Al Matthes, Toronto
1988Blind Gary Davis 1962–1964, Recorded LiveWolf (Austria)120,915
1988Blind Gary Davis at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa., 1964—Afternoon WorkshopDocument (Austria)DLP 527
1993Rev. Gary Davis: Blues and RagtimeShanachie97042
2002The Sun of Our Life: Solos, Songs, a Sermon 1955–1957World Arbiter2005Previously unissued session tapes and sermon from mid-1950s
2003If I Had My Way: Early Home RecordingsFolkwaysSFW40123Recorded 1953 by John Cohen
2007Lifting the Veil: The First Bluesmen (1926–1956), Rev. Gary Davis and PeersWorld Arbiter2008Unissued session tapes from 1956–57, recorded by Fred Gerlach & Tiny Robinson; liner notes quote a 1951 interview with Davis
2007Reverend Gary Davis Live: Manchester Free Trade Hall 1964Document (Austria)DOCD-32-20-14Recorded May 8, 1964, Manchester, England
2009Live at Gerde's Folk City, February 1962Stefan Grossman's Guitar WorkshopSGGW 114/5/63-CD set
2010Reverend Gary DavisField Recorders CollectiveFRC116Recorded 1952, New York City, by John Cohen

[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Posthumous Recognition

Reverend Gary Davis was recognized alongside Blind Boy Fuller as Main Honorees by the Sesquicentennial Honors Commission at the Durham 150 Closing Ceremony in Durham, NC on November 2, 2019. The posthumous recognition was bestowed upon them for their contributions to the Piedmont Blues.[18]

See also

References
  1. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. pp. 285–286. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 105. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  3. "Reverend Gary Davis | Association for Cultural Equity". The Association for Cultural Equity. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  4. "Rev Gary Davis". Arbiterrecords.org. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  5. W. K. McNeil, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, USA, 2013, p. 97
  6. Smith, Chris (2003). Meet You at the Station: The Vintage Recordings (1935–1949) (Media notes). Reverend Gary Davis. Document Records. OCLC 489027245. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  7. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=4hH7fPXQAb0
  8. Doc Rock. "The 1970s". TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  9. "Riverside Records Discography Project". Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  10. "Prestige Records Discography Project". Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  11. Wirz, Stefan (December 2, 2010). "Prestige/Bluesville Discography". American Music. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  12. Wirz, Stefan (August 16, 2010). "77 Records Discography". American Music. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  13. Wirz, Stefan (August 2, 2010). "Kicking Mule". American Music. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  14. Davis, Gary; Tillig, Robert (2010). Oh, What a Beautiful City: A Tribute to Reverend Gary Davis. Pacific, Missouri: Mel Bay Publications. pp. 151–152. ISBN 978-0-7866-8258-4. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  15. Henderson, Alex (2003). "Reverend Gary Davis". In Vladimir Bogdanov (ed.). All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues (3rd ed.). Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-87930-736-6. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  16. Coltman, Bob (2008). Paul Clayton and the Folksong Revival. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-8108-6132-9. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  17. "The Field Recorders' Collective". Fieldrecorder.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  18. Durham 150 (November 2, 2019). Durham 150 Closing Ceremony Program.

Further reading
  • Mann, Woody (2003). The Art of Acoustic Blues Guitar: Ragtime and Gospel. Oak Publications.
  • Reevy, Tony; Weaver, Caroline (July 2002). "Street Sessions, Piedmont Style". Our State.
  • Stambler, Irwin; Stambler, Lyndon (2001). Folk and Blues, the Encyclopedia. New York: St. Martin's Press.
  • Tilling, Robert (1992). Oh, What a Beautiful City! A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis. Paul Mill Press. ISBN 9780786682584.
  • von Schmidt, Eric (2008). "Remembering Reverend Gary Davis". Sing Out! 51(4)67–73.
  • Zack, Ian (2015). Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226234106.
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