Blind John Davis | |
---|---|
Birth name | John Henry Davis |
Born | Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S. | December 7, 1913
Died | October 12, 1985 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 71)
Genres | Blues, boogie-woogie |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Piano, vocals |
Years active | 1933–1985 |
Labels | Vocalion, Disques Vogue, Riverside, Happy Bird, Christi, Oldie Blues, Sirens, L&R, Red Beans |
Blind John Davis (December 7, 1913 – October 12, 1985) [1] was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. [2] [3] He is best remembered for his recordings, including "A Little Every Day" and "Everybody's Boogie". [1]
Davis was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and relocated with his family to Chicago at the age of two. [4] Seven years later, he had lost his sight. In his early years Davis backed Merline Johnson, and by his mid-twenties he was a well-known and reliable accompanying pianist. Between 1937 and 1942, he recorded with Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson I, Tampa Red, Red Nelson, [5] Merline Johnson, and others. He also made several records of his own, singing in his lightweight voice. [2]
Having played in various recording sessions with Lonnie Johnson, Davis teamed up with him in the 1940s. [6] He recorded later on his own. His "No Mail Today" (1949) was a minor hit. [2] Most of Doctor Clayton's later recordings featured Davis on piano. [7]
He toured Europe with Broonzy in 1952, the first blues pianist to do so. [8] In later years Davis toured and recorded frequently in Europe, where he enjoyed a higher profile than in the United States. [4]
In 1955, Davis's house in Chicago burned down. His wife died in the fire, and his collection of 1700 78-rpm records, some of them unissued, was destroyed. [9]
Davis died in Chicago on October 12, 1985. He was 71.