Billy Davis (songwriter) facts for kids

Roquel "Billy" Davis (born July 11, 1932 – died September 2, 2004) was a talented American songwriter, record producer, and singer from Detroit. He was also famous for creating catchy songs for advertisements, known as jingles, especially for Coca-Cola. Sometimes, you might see his work credited under the name Tyran Carlo.

Billy Davis: A Music Legend

Starting in Music

Billy Davis began his music journey in Detroit. Early on, he sang and wrote songs with a group called "The Four Aims." This group later became the famous Four Tops. His cousin, Lawrence Payton, was also in the group.

In the late 1950s, Billy teamed up with Berry Gordy. Berry Gordy later started Motown Records. Together, they wrote many hit songs for singer Jackie Wilson. One of their biggest hits was "Lonely Teardrops." Billy, Berry, and Berry's sister Gwen Gordy Fuqua wrote this song. Gwen Gordy was Billy's girlfriend at the time.

Founding Anna Records

Billy Davis and Gwen Gordy also started their own record company called Anna Records. This company helped distribute the first songs from Berry Gordy's new label, Tamla. They also wrote "Reet Petite" for Jackie Wilson. This song was a Top 10 hit in the UK. It even became a number one hit there when it was re-released in 1986. Another successful song they wrote was "You Got What It Takes" for Marv Johnson in 1959.

Working at Chess Records

In the early 1960s, Billy Davis moved from Detroit to Chicago. He joined Chess Records, a well-known record company. The owner, Leonard Chess, asked Billy to lead the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) and creative teams. This meant Billy was in charge of finding new artists and supervising the songwriters and producers. He helped Chess Records create music for the growing soul and pop markets.

While at Chess, Billy wrote and produced songs for many famous artists. These included Etta James, The Dells, Billy Stewart, Little Milton, Jackie Ross, Mitty Collier, Fontella Bass, and even Chuck Berry.

The King of Jingles

Billy Davis left Chess Records in 1968. His success there led him to a new job in New York City. He started writing and producing jingles for a big advertising agency called McCann Erickson. He eventually became a Senior Vice-President and Music Director.

His main client at McCann-Erickson was The Coca-Cola Company. Billy produced some of the most famous jingles for them. One of his most well-known works is "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)." This song was used in a very popular Coca-Cola TV advertisement in 1971.

More Famous Jingles

Billy also produced other memorable jingles for Coca-Cola. These include "It's the Real Thing" and "Things Go Better With Coke." He also produced "Country Sunshine" for Coca-Cola, which featured country singer Dottie West. For Miller Beer, he produced the jingle "If You've Got the Time."

Billy Davis also produced the song "Have a Coke and Smile." This song was part of the famous Coca-Cola advertisement called "Hey Kid, Catch!" The ad starred football player Mean Joe Greene. "Hey Kid, Catch!" won important awards like the Clio and Cannes Gold Lion. It is still considered one of the best Super Bowl ads ever.

Billy Davis was also known for bringing famous singers like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles into the world of advertising. Both artists sang songs produced by Billy for Coca-Cola commercials. In 2007, Billy Davis was honored for his work. He was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame.

Billy Davis passed away in September 2004 in New Rochelle, New York. He was 72 years old.