Paul Davis (singer)
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| Paul Davis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Paul Lavon Davis |
| Born | 21 April 1948 Meridian, Mississippi, USA |
| Died | 22 April 2008 (aged 60) Meridian, Mississippi, USA |
| Genres | Soul, country, pop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1966–2008 |
| Labels | Bang, Arista, Epic, Razor & Tie, Collectibles |
| Associated acts | Tanya Tucker Paul Overstreet |
Paul Lavon Davis (April 21, 1948 – April 22, 2008) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music. Notable songs in his career include 1977's "I Go Crazy", a #7 pop hit which once held the record for the longest chart run on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the #6 "'65 Love Affair", his highest pop hit. In the mid 1980s, he also had two country #1 hits as a guest vocalist on songs by Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker, and wrote singles for other country singers.
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[edit] Career
Davis was a member of a local group called the Six Soul Survivors in approximately 1966 and later in another group called the Endless Chain. In 1968 he was a writer for Malaco Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi.
Ilene Berns, widow of Bert Berns, signed Davis to Bang Records in 1969, and in 1970, released a cover version of The Jarmels' hit song "A Little Bit of Soap", reaching #52 on the Billboard pop charts. His first album, A Little Bit of Paul Davis, was released in 1970. In 1974, he recorded his third album, Ride 'Em Cowboy, which entered the Top 40 for the title track. The same song also became a Top 40 Country hit for Juice Newton in 1984.
Davis had his first American Top 10 single with the ballad "I Go Crazy," which peaked at #7 in 1978. "I Go Crazy" spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, which at the time set the single-song record for most consecutive weeks on the chart in the rock era. The follow-up, "Sweet Life", also did well, peaking at #4 Adult Contemporary and #17 Pop. The corresponding album Singer of Songs – Teller of Tales was a modest success, peaking at #82 on the Billboard pop album chart. He was the last artist active on the Bang Records label when it folded in 1981.
After one more album on the Bang label, Paul Davis signed with Arista Records in 1981 and scored two more Top 20 singles, "Cool Night" (which reached #11 on Billboard's Hot 100 and hit #2 at Adult Contemporary in January 1982) and "'65 Love Affair" (a major Top 10 hit at both Pop and Adult Contemporary). His Arista debut album spawned a third hit with Davis' remake of "Love or Let Me Be Lonely". Davis retired from making records for a time, except for two duet singles that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The first was in 1986 with Marie Osmond on "You're Still New To Me" while the second was in 1988 was a collaboration with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet on "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love". Davis also wrote "Meet Me in Montana," which Paul's friend Dan Seals and Osmond took to #1 on the Billboard Country chart in 1985.
Before his death on April 22, 2008 (one day after his 60th birthday), Paul Davis returned to singing and songwriting recording two songs, "You Ain't Sweet Enough" and "Today." He died of a heart attack at the Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi.
[edit] Personal life
Davis survived a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30, 1986.[1]
Country music singer Charly McClain's song, "Best That Never Was", was specially written and dedicated to Paul Davis on her 1983 album Paradise.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- A Little Bit of Paul Davis (1970)
- Paul Davis (1972)
- Ride 'Em Cowboy (1974)
- Southern Tracks & Fantasies (1976)
- Singer of Songs: Teller of Tales (1977)
- Paul Davis (1980); different album from 1972 release
- Cool Night (1981)
- Best of Paul Davis (1982)
- Sweet Life: His Greatest Hit Singles (1999)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | US | US AC | US Country | CAN Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "A Little Bit of Soap" | 52 | 27 | — | — |
| "I Just Wanna Keep It Together" | 51 | 34 | — | — | |
| "Can't You Find Another Way (Of Doing It)" | 118 | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | "Boogie Woogie Man" | 68 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | "Ride 'Em Cowboy" | 23 | 4 | 47 | — |
| 1975 | "Keep Our Love Alive" | 90 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | "Thinking of You" | 45 | 31 | — | — |
| "Superstar" | 35 | 31 | — | — | |
| 1977 | "I Go Crazy" | 7 | 25 | — | — |
| 1978 | "Darlin" (with Susan Collins) | 51 | — | — | — |
| "Sweet Life" | 17 | 7 | 85 | — | |
| 1980 | "Do Right" | 23 | 4 | — | — |
| "Cry Just a Little" | 78 | 36 | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Cool Night" | 11 | 2 | — | — |
| 1982 | "'65 Love Affair" | 6 | 5 | — | — |
| "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" | 40 | 11 | — | — | |
| 1986 | "You're Still New to Me"(with Marie Osmond) | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1988 | "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love"(with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet) | — | — | 1 | 10 |
| "Sweet Life" (re-recording with Marie Osmond) | — | — | 47 | 55 |
[edit] External links
- Official page at MySpace
- Paul Davis at the Internet Movie Database
- Complete Paul Davis Discography and Career History
- Paul Davis information at AOL Music
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (October 2009) |
