European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Profile singing the blues to be Davis Beale Street is the Street by Jot mapo1hir  Bureau the Luei Livi a Folk Ming even Ihn ugh he never had a i i  in those i is korean War Natl pre Vietnam Days blues were like ii religion to Black people Davis says. The jul  always there but it a ii being pm ii to to i Viry ii a cd  Mcmahi blues a re nol a her in its the Sluus Sung up North in  by people like Muddy we la irate so he could Pei r through the windows of the clubs along Beale Street club owners would kick the crates from under you  Sayi. Tull was fun for them. It  l fun for  Tvan 11 year Olds  the blues. For the past seven years in Berlin Davis has Divi died his time Between his military career and sin Hillh fur Blui s Gruppi. A couple of years ago he formed Iii own group the be Davis blues had the band ii nearing a completion Dale for its first album i  to sing the blues which Davis Hopes will lie released by  s end. Distribution rights ire still being negotiated. The cd Davis blues band regularly hours Europe and a tour through Central and Southern Germany is in the works Lor november. Although Davis found the blues Early re was years before he could sing it right he said. He was raised on gospel music before his father a truck Driver moved the family across the River to Memphis from Helena Ark. Aller Davis graduated from coca cola cases he began asking club owners if he could bus tables or Wash dishes. If you were the cleaning boy you could at least stand Back by the stage door lie says. Davis left Memphis and his singing career look off in new Turk City toward the close of he Falls but the music was soul not blues. Sandwiched in Between was his first Lour of duly As an army draftee Between t3&1 and 1965. He toured the East coast and the South As Lead Singer for the soul grooves during most of i he 70s, feb Davis wants to spread the blues to every Norott and cranny of the  eight or nine months out of each year. The band Pul out an album tilled get your business  Davis never forgot the blues. However the musicians who  the blues had Little use for a soul Singer he remembers. I would to into the clubs and ask to sit in with the blues bands and must of the Lime they d Tell me logo Back and sing the a that i d been singing. When i started losing the blues people would laugh because i could to Davis admits. That began to change As Davis matured and disco music wreaked havoc on the club circuit. They did t need live bands anymore and so As a consequence we found ourselves very soon unemployed he says. The Long Munts of Louring ruined his first marriage. The band broke up and by 1979 Davis found himself in his mid-305, with a Strong Case of the blues. One  you re with a very popular Louring band and the be i  Here s no  the army  t been that bad he decided so Davis joined up again. In Berlin he chanced across an englishwoman Jill Horwitz who knew some people who wanted to play the blues but they were looking for a Singer Davis says. By 19b he was singing for the Bayou blues band. In 1985 he formed his own band a Basic four Man combo augmented by a Harp player and a three Man Horn Section when club space allows. Davis prefers fast paced blues and the soul music influence is evidenced by his retention of such standards As Otis Redding s sitting on the Dock of the Bay what i wat looking to do was find my own car so i could drive in any Way i please Davis said of the decision to form Hii own band. One Slop a Long the Way was in Munich on the same Bill with Junior Wells the Man Davis credits As his major musical influence. There have been Limo rides in from the Zurich Airport and blues festivals in Amsterdam but Davis says his no. 1 Job is the military. Asa Serviceman Davis can t contract himself out to a record Label Lle also must limit his touring to weekends and the 3fl Days of leave he gets each year. Davis gets a lol of support from his unit wife in children and friends. Vav Alhout them there would have been times when i would have fallen through the cracks he says. His goal what i would like to do is do my part to keep the blues alive to give in a positive image and spread it around to every Nook and cranny in the world thai  24 str pct mtg Aine october 23, i9s7