Passing: James B. Davis, Leader of the Dixie Hummingbirds (NY Times)
From The New York Times:
By Ben Sisaro
Published: April 28, 2007
James B. Davis, the leader of the Dixie Hummingbirds, one of the longest-lasting and most influential groups in gospel music, died on April 17 in Philadelphia. He was 90 and lived in Philadelphia.
His death was announced by the group.
Mr. Davis was 12 when he started the group in 1928 with members of his church choir in Greenville, S.C. Spanning almost the entire history of the genre, the Hummingbirds have continued to the present day.
At its peak in the 1940s and ’50s, the group was one of gospel’s most popular and innovative, with shouting lead parts and walking basslines in songs like “Thank You for One More Day,” “Trouble in My Way” and “Bedside of a Neighbor” that influenced soul and R & B stars like Hank Ballard, Bobby (Blue) Bland and the Temptations.
Though the most prominent voices on its records were those of the tenors Ira Tucker and James Walker and the bass Willie Bobo, the group’s driving force from the beginning was Mr. Davis. A self-taught businessman and strict disciplinarian, he oversaw its activities and enforced a set of rules — no cursing, alcohol or socializing with women, among other commandments. Infractions were punishable by fines, and Mr. Davis was not exempt: he once charged himself $20 for playing a blues record on a jukebox.
For more, see the complete obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/28/arts/28jdavis.html?ref=obituaries
By Ben Sisaro
Published: April 28, 2007
James B. Davis, the leader of the Dixie Hummingbirds, one of the longest-lasting and most influential groups in gospel music, died on April 17 in Philadelphia. He was 90 and lived in Philadelphia.
His death was announced by the group.
Mr. Davis was 12 when he started the group in 1928 with members of his church choir in Greenville, S.C. Spanning almost the entire history of the genre, the Hummingbirds have continued to the present day.
At its peak in the 1940s and ’50s, the group was one of gospel’s most popular and innovative, with shouting lead parts and walking basslines in songs like “Thank You for One More Day,” “Trouble in My Way” and “Bedside of a Neighbor” that influenced soul and R & B stars like Hank Ballard, Bobby (Blue) Bland and the Temptations.
Though the most prominent voices on its records were those of the tenors Ira Tucker and James Walker and the bass Willie Bobo, the group’s driving force from the beginning was Mr. Davis. A self-taught businessman and strict disciplinarian, he oversaw its activities and enforced a set of rules — no cursing, alcohol or socializing with women, among other commandments. Infractions were punishable by fines, and Mr. Davis was not exempt: he once charged himself $20 for playing a blues record on a jukebox.
For more, see the complete obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/28/arts/28jdavis.html?ref=obituaries
posted by eric model | 4:43 AM
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