Billy Newton-Davis

Billy Newton-Davis (born April 26, 1951 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States) is a Canadian R&B, jazz and gospel singer-songwriter.

Newton-Davis grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland. He was one of two lead singers in a local soul band called The Illusions. After working as a singer and dancer on Broadway, he moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1980. His debut album, Love Is a Contact Sport, won the Juno Award for best R&B/soul recording in 1986 and included the hits "Deeper", "Right Beside You" and "Find My Way Back".

His 1989 follow up, Spellbound, included his biggest Canadian chart hit, "I Can't Take It", as well as the almost Top 40 hit Celine Dion duet "Can't Live With You, Can't Live Without You" and again won the Juno for best R&B/soul recording.

Newton-Davis subsequently joined The Nylons in 1991. Since leaving the Nylons, he has primarily concentrated on songwriting and live jazz and gospel performances.

In 2008, Newton-Davis won the Juno Award for All You Ever Want as Best Dance Album. Openly gay, his On A Boy's Life (2008) is a "celebration of all the naughty things men can get up to when left to their own devices."

During 2009, Newton-Davis also did the vocals for two songs in At Play 2, a progressive electronic album made by musician Deadmau5.

References

• Billy Newton-Davis on Myspace