Rev. Gary Davis

African-American blues, gospel singer and guitarist

Born April 30, 1896 in Laurens County, SC, USA, died May 5, 1972 in Hammonton, NJ, USA

For his early 78 recordings before being ordained a minister, please go to [a=Blind Gary Davis].

Born partially blind, Davis lost what little was left of his sight at a young age. Self-taught on the guitar, he assumed a unique multi-voice style produced solely with his thumb and index finger, playing ragtime, traditional, blues and original tunes in four-part harmony. He frequently performed on the streets of New York near Harlem, where he also came to be a well-known figure. In the 1930s occasionally accompanied [a=Blind Boy Fuller] or [a=Bull City Red] on recordings as a 2nd guitarist. It should be noted that as a man of faith in his later year, he rarely recorded blues after becoming a Reverend.

He has been an influence on dozens of musicians such as [a=Bob Dylan], [a=Taj Mahal], [a=Donovan], [a=Jorma Kaukonen], [a=Ry Cooder], [a=David Bromberg], [a=Wizz Jones] and [a=Blind Boy Fuller].