Guy Davis (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guy Davis
|
|
|---|---|
Guy Davis at Hugh's Room in Toronto, Canada
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | May 12, 1952 |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1978-present |
Guy Davis (born May 12, 1952) is an American musician who plays the blues. He is a talented guitarist and banjo player who has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. He is also an actor and the son of famous actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis.
Contents
Where His Music Comes From
Guy Davis was inspired to play the blues by listening to his grandmother's Southern accent. Even though he grew up in New York City, his family told him many stories about life in the rural South. These stories became a big part of his songs.
Davis taught himself how to play the guitar. He learned by watching and listening to other musicians. He once learned a special finger picking style from a man with nine fingers on a train. His first time playing the blues was at a summer camp in Vermont. There, he learned to play the five-string banjo.
A Career in Acting
Davis has always loved both music and acting. One of his first big roles was in the 1984 movie Beat Street. He also acted on the TV show One Life to Live from 1985 to 1986.
Later, he was able to combine his two passions on stage. In 1991, he was in a Broadway musical called Mulebone. In 1993, he played the famous blues musician Robert Johnson in a play. His performance was so good that he won the "Keeping the Blues Alive Award" from the Blues Foundation.
Davis also writes his own plays. He created a one-man show called In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters. It was a hit when it opened in 1994. He has written other plays and short stories, winning awards for his writing. In 2022, he wrote and performed another one-man show called Sugarbelly and Other Tales My Father Told Me.
A Focus on Music
For the last few decades, Davis has focused on making music. He has recorded many albums and performed for audiences all over the world.
Early Albums
In 1995, Davis released his first live album, Stomp Down Rider. It was very popular and appeared on many "best of" lists. His next album, Call Down the Thunder, honored the great blues musicians of the past. It also featured many of his own original songs.
His third album, You Don't Know My Mind, was named 'Blues Album of the Year' by the Association For Independent Music. A reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle gave it four stars.
Gaining More Fans
Davis's fourth album was called `...` Free. It featured famous musicians like Levon Helm from The Band. Davis and his friends even performed a song from the album on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien TV show.
Ian Anderson, the leader of the band Jethro Tull, loved Davis's music so much that he invited him to open for his band in 2003. Many other famous people are fans of Davis, including singer Jackson Browne and actress Jessica Lange.
Award-Winning Music
Davis's album Chocolate to the Bone was nominated for a Blues Music Award. Over his career, he has been nominated for ten of these awards.
His 2004 album, Legacy, was chosen as one of the Best CDs of the Year by National Public Radio (NPR). The main song, "Uncle Tom's Dead," was also named one of the Best Songs of the Year. The cover of the album was drawn by a comic book artist who is also named Guy Davis!
Helping Others Through Music
Davis has used his music to help important causes. He recorded a song for a project called I Will Be Your Friend: Songs and Activities for Young Peacemakers. This CD and teaching kit helps teach students about diversity and understanding. It was sent to public schools across the country to help stop hatred.
Davis has also worked with schools and arts centers like the Lincoln Center Institute and the Kennedy Center. He leads workshops for students of all ages to teach them about music and the blues.
Recent Work
In recent years, Davis has continued to perform and create. He appeared on the Nickelodeon shows Littleburg and Jack's Big Music Show.
In 2017, his album Sonny & Brownie's Last Train, which he made with Italian musician Fabrizio Poggi, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. In 2021, he received another Grammy nomination for his album Be Ready When I Call You.
Awards
- Davis has received many award nominations for his music, including from the Blues Music Awards.
- 1991 BRIO award
- 1993 AUDELCO Award for Best Actor
- 2017 Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album for Sonny & Brownie's Last Train
- 2021 Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album for Be Ready When I Call You
Discography
- 1978: Dreams About Life
- 1995: Stomp Down Rider
- 1996: Call Down the Thunder
- 1998: You Don't Know My Mind
- 2000: `...` Free
- 2002: Give in Kind
- 2003: Chocolate to the Bone
- 2004: Legacy
- 2006: Skunkmello
- 2009: Sweetheart Like You
- 2012: The Adventures of Fishy Waters
- 2013: Juba Dance
- 2015: Kokomo Kidd
- 2015: Sonny & Brownie's Last Train
- 2019: Gumbo, Grits & Gravy
- 2021: Be Ready When I Call You
See also
In Spanish: Guy Davis (músico) para niños
