Billy Davis (guitarist) facts for kids

Billy Davis (born J. C. Davis on April 29, 1938) is an American musician. He plays rock and blues guitar. He is also a singer and songwriter. Billy Davis is famous for playing with the band Hank Ballard & the Midnighters. He is so important that he was even inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

Life and Career of Billy Davis

Billy Davis was born in Bentonia, Mississippi. As a child, he moved to Memphis. When he was 8 years old, he heard a song called "That's All Right" by Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup. This song made him want to play guitar. In 1951, at age 13, Davis moved to Detroit, Michigan. He lived in an area called "Black Bottom." There, he took guitar lessons from Bosie Gatlin. Bosie taught him how to play "Baby, Please Don't Go" by Muddy Waters.

Early Music Days

In 1951, Davis met John Lee Hooker, a friend of his mother's. Hooker introduced Davis to Jackie Wilson. Billy and Jackie became close friends. They worked together on music for many years.

After finishing Miller High School in Detroit in 1957, Davis started his own band. It was called Billy Davis & The Upsetters. They worked for Motown founder Berry Gordy. They played backup music for artists like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. They also played with Marv Johnson at live shows.

Joining The Midnighters

In 1958, Henry Booth saw Davis play. Henry was a singer for The Midnighters. He convinced Hank Ballard to hire Davis. Billy became the new guitarist for the band. He replaced Cal Green. Davis played with The Midnighters until they broke up in 1965. He also joined them again for reunion tours in the 1980s. In the early 1960s, The Midnighters were very popular. They played almost 300 shows a year!

Billy Davis was exciting to watch on stage. He was known for his amazing energy. He would make his guitar create cool sounds called guitar feedback. He would also spin and twirl while playing. Sometimes, he even did backflips! He was also known for playing his guitar with his teeth. Billy was more than just a backup musician. He was considered a full member of The Midnighters. This was because he could play, sing, and do the band's dance routines. Hank Ballard often let Billy play guitar solos and do his tricks for 30 minutes before the main show.

Meeting Music Legends

In 1959, while playing with The Midnighters in Seattle, Washington, he met Jimi Hendrix. Jimi was only 16 years old then. Billy let Jimi play his guitar and gave him some lessons. This was the first time Jimi Hendrix had ever played an electric guitar! Jimi was inspired by Billy's stage moves and style. Soon, Jimi started doing similar things, like playing guitar with his teeth. Billy remained friends with Jimi and his father throughout their lives.

Also in 1959, Davis met blues guitarist B.B. King. They were both performing in Atlanta, Georgia. They stayed close friends until B.B. King passed away in 2015.

In 1960, Billy Davis and The Legends recorded a song. It was for Peacock Records and called "Spunky Onions." This song was a changed version of a song The Midnighters played live. The name was changed from "Funky Onions" to "Spunky Onions." This was to make sure it didn't sound offensive to anyone.

Later in 1960, The Midnighters were on tour in Memphis. Elvis Presley sent two police officers to their show. He wanted them to come to his Graceland mansion for a visit. Hank Ballard wasn't sure at first. But he agreed when he saw the rest of the band were going without him.

Military Service and Session Work

In 1962, Davis joined the United States Army. He went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for training. Then he went to South Korea for 13 months. While in the army, he played country music for his officers. He also arranged for Jimi Hendrix to try out for The Midnighters. Jimi filled in for Billy for a short time. When Billy returned from service, he rejoined The Midnighters. He stayed with them until the group broke up.

After leaving the military, Davis moved to New York City. He quickly became a popular session guitarist. This means he played guitar on recordings for many different artists. He recorded with musicians like Joe Tex, Isley Brothers, The Drifters, Ben E. King, and Millie Jackson. He played for many record labels, including Atlantic Records and Polydor.

Billy Davis played his last show with the original Midnighters in 1965 in the Bahamas. After that, he moved back to Memphis, Tennessee. He worked briefly for Willie Mitchell at Hi Records.

Davis then moved back to New York. He did more session work there. He played on recordings for groups like Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. In 1967, Billy played lead guitar on a song for his childhood friend Jackie Wilson. The song was called "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher." They also toured together. This song became a huge hit! It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart. It also reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as one of the greatest songs of all time. It was also added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Many artists, like The Chemical Brothers, have used parts of this song in their own music.

In 1969, Davis signed with A&M Records as Billy "Guitar" Davis. He released songs like "You Put Me in a Groove" and "Stanky (Get Funky)."

Later Life and Reunions

Billy Davis got married in 1979 and had two children. In 1974, he moved back to Detroit. He planned to stop playing music professionally. He became a counselor for young people who needed help. He mostly stopped playing music for about nine years. He only played a few shows now and then.

In 1983, the group Sam & Dave asked Billy to put together a band. They needed a band to play with them at a concert. They were opening for James Brown. James Brown had been a friend of Billy's since the 1950s. He gave Billy Hank Ballard's phone number. James suggested that Billy call Hank to get The Midnighters back together. Billy called Hank, and The Midnighters reunited! They started touring regularly for the next few years.

In 1988, he appeared in a movie called Tapeheads. He was a member of the Swanky Modes Band in the film. The band included Sam Moore (from Sam & Dave) and Junior Walker. It also featured Mitch Mitchell, who was Jimi Hendrix's drummer.

In 2001, The Midnighters were honored. They were among the first groups to be inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame. This happened in Boston, Massachusetts.

In 2003, Billy Davis formed a new band. He wanted to record some of his own songs. He still plays with them regularly. He has released many recordings of his original music.

Hall of Fame and Recent Work

In 2012, Billy Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a member of The Midnighters. A special group at the Hall of Fame decided to honor members of important bands. These bands had not been inducted when their lead singers were inducted. Because of this decision, The Midnighters were automatically inducted. This happened alongside Hank Ballard, who had been inducted in 1990.

In 2015, Billy Davis was also inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame. This was for his work with Hank Ballard & the Midnighters.

In 2017, Billy Davis joined other musicians to celebrate John Lee Hooker's 100th birthday. They formed a group called the Booker Blues All-Stars. They released a CD called Booker Plays Hooker.

Billy Davis met Detroit blues rocker Eliza Neals. He recorded a song with her called "At the Crossroads." He also performed with her at the 2017 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival.

On October 12, 2017, Billy Davis received a special award. It was called the "70 over 70" award. This award honored his achievements in art. The ceremony was held at a historic restaurant in Detroit.

In 2017, Billy Davis and Wayne Craycraft won a competition. They represented the Detroit Blues Society. They competed in the duo category at the 33rd International Blues Challenge. This event was held in Memphis, Tennessee, in January 2018. They made it to the semi-finals!

He is a main musician featured in a documentary film. The film is called Paradise Boogie. It was released in 2018. It tells the story of Detroit blues music.

Billy Davis lives in Southfield, Michigan today. He continues to help young musicians learn. He also performs regularly with a few bands. One of his bands is The Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band.

On October 19, 2022, Billy Davis and his band played at the Southfield Public Library. The event was called "Jazz & Blues at Your Library."

Selected Recordings

Billy Davis has played on many important recordings. Here are some of the most well-known:

• With Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, he played on albums like Singin' And Swingin (1959) and Dance Along (1961).
• He also played on their famous singles such as "Teardrops on Your Letter / The Twist" (1959) and "Finger Poppin' Time" (1960).
• As a solo artist, he released songs like "Spunky Onions" (1960) and "Stanky (Get Funky)" (1969).
• More recently, he released "Blue Teardrops" (2004) and the album Billy Davis (2017).