Paul Davis -

Paul Davis (April 21, 1948 — April 22, 2008) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter from Mississippi who made seven albums between 1970 and 1981, charting with “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” “I Go Crazy,” “Sweet Life,” “Cool Night,” and “65 Love Affair.”

Background

Paul Davis was born Paul Lavon Davis on April 21, 1948, in Meridian, Mississippi. His father worked as a preacher. Davis attended Meridian High School and played rhythm guitar in The Jesters, a mid-Sixties garage band with singer Butch Carter, lead guitarist Frank Morris, and drummer Monty Royal.

In 1966, Davis and Morris joined the Six Soul Survivors, where Davis became lead vocalist. Meanwhile, Davis made his first known record appearance as the organist on the Rick’s Continentals single “I Don’t Know” (b/w “Who Are My Friends”), produced at Bob Reetz’s RAP studio in Meridian by drummer George Soulé. Six Soul Survivors followed with the Davis originals “I Gotta Find a Way” (b/w “It’s Over My Head”), arranged by Soulé for RAP Records.

Davis sang with the Endless Chain by 1967 and co-wrote songs with Soulé. The Box Tops included the Davis composition “Rollin’ in My Sleep” on the 1968 album Non Stop. Davis joined the Malaco Records staff that year at the company studio in Jackson, Mississippi, where he developed songs for R&B and blues performers.

Davis signed with Bang Records in 1969 under label head Ilene Berns. He made his Bang debut that April with “Mississippi River” (b/w “If I Wuz a Magician”). Davis returned in March 1970 with a version of the Jarmels song “A Little Bit of Soap” (b/w “Three Little Words”), which reached No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He followed in August with “I Just Wanna Keep It Together” (b/w “Pollyana”) and also recorded “Revolution in My Soul” (b/w “Constantly”) under the Reivers name for White Whale. Davis and Eddie Biscoe produced “Revolution in My Soul” at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, ahead of the debut album A Little Bit of Paul Davis.

Discography: