Paul Davis (singer)

Paul Lavon Davis (April 21, 1948 – April 22, 2008) His father was a preacher.

Career

Paul Davis was a member of a local music group, the Six Soul Survivors, around 1966 and later in another group, the Endless Chain. In 1968, he was a writer for Malaco Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi. Ilene Berns, widow of Bert Berns, signed Davis to Bang Records in 1969, and in 1970, released a cover version of the Jarmels' hit "A Little Bit of Soap", reaching No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After one more album on the Bang label, Davis signed with Arista Records in 1981 and scored two more hits, "Cool Night" (which in February 1982 reached No. 11 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart) and "'65 Love Affair" (a Top 10 hit on both charts). and his songs are kept in regular rotation on stations such as YachtRockinRadio.com. His Arista debut album spawned a third hit with a remake of "Love or Let Me Be Lonely". The single contained a third verse of music which was not included on the album version, and despite its Top 40 and AC success, had never been reissued on any CD release until Wounded Bird reissued the Best of Paul Davis compilation in 2011. Despite his success during this time frame, Davis grew increasingly disillusioned with the industry. Davis retired from making records in 1983, except for two duets that went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The first was in 1986 with Marie Osmond singing "You're Still New to Me";

Davis was an avid golfer, and was also an avid billiards enthusiast.

Davis survived a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 29, 1986. He was leaving a hotel on Music Row with a female companion when an unidentified man approached, demanded his wallet, and shot him in the abdomen.

Davis died of a heart attack at the Rush Foundation Hospital in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, on April 22, 2008, a day after his 60th birthday.

Discography

Albums

{| class="wikitable"

!rowspan=2|Year

!rowspan=2|Album

!colspan=3|Peak chart positions

!width=45|US

!width=45|US Country

!width=45|CAN

|1970

|A Little Bit of Paul Davis

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1972

|Paul Davis

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1974

|Ride 'Em Cowboy

| style="text-align:center;"|148

| style="text-align:center;"|19

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1976

|Southern Tracks & Fantasies

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1977

|Singer of Songs: Teller of Tales

| style="text-align:center;"|82

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|77

|1980

|Paul Davis

| style="text-align:center;"|173

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1981

|Cool Night

| style="text-align:center;"|52

| style="text-align:center;"|—

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

!rowspan=2|Year

!rowspan=2|Single

!colspan=7|Peak chart positions

!rowspan=2|Album

!rowspan=2|Release date

!width=45|US

!width=45|US AC

!width=45|US Country

!width=45|CA

!width=45|CA AC

!width=45|AUS

!width=45|NZ

|rowspan="3"|1970

|"A Little Bit of Soap"

| style="text-align:center;"|52

| style="text-align:center;"|27

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|60

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|16

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|rowspan="2"|A Little Bit of Paul Davis

|March 12, 1970

|"I Just Wanna Keep It Together"

| style="text-align:center;"|51

| style="text-align:center;"|34

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|58

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|47

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|August 21, 1970

|"Can't You"

| style="text-align:center;"|118

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|Single only

|November 20, 1970

|1972

|"Boogie Woogie Man"

| style="text-align:center;"|68

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|Paul Davis

|December 15, 1972

|1974

|"Ride 'Em Cowboy"

| style="text-align:center;"|23

| style="text-align:center;"|4

| style="text-align:center;"|47

| style="text-align:center;"|30

| style="text-align:center;"|6

| style="text-align:center;"|49

| style="text-align:center;"|

|Ride 'Em Cowboy

|September 26, 1974

|1975

|"Keep Our Love Alive"

| style="text-align:center;"|90

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|Single only

|May 13, 1975

|rowspan="2"|1976

|"Thinking of You"

| style="text-align:center;"|45

| style="text-align:center;"|31

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|rowspan="2"|Southern Tracks & Fantasies

|March 23, 1976

|"Superstar"

| style="text-align:center;"|35

| style="text-align:center;"|31

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|53

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|August 11, 1976

|1977

|"I Go Crazy"

| style="text-align:center;"|7

| style="text-align:center;"|25

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|4

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|62

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|rowspan="3"|Singer of Songs – Teller of Tales

|June 29, 1977

| rowspan="2" |1978

|"Darlin'" (with Susan Collins)

| style="text-align:center;"|51

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|37

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|March 23, 1978

|"Sweet Life"

| style="text-align:center;"|17

| style="text-align:center;"|7

| style="text-align:center;"|85

| style="text-align:center;"|15

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|August 10, 1978

| rowspan="2" |1980

|"Do Right"

| style="text-align:center;" |23

| style="text-align:center;" |4

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| style="text-align:center;" |64

| style="text-align:center;" |—

| rowspan="2" |Paul Davis

|March 11, 1980

|"Cry Just a Little"

| style="text-align:center;" |78

| style="text-align:center;" |36

| style="text-align:center;" |—

|June 19, 1980

|1981

|"Cool Night"

| style="text-align:center;"|11

| style="text-align:center;"|2

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|34

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|78

| style="text-align:center;"|23

|rowspan="3"|Cool Night

|October 28, 1981

|rowspan="2"|1982

|"'65 Love Affair"

| style="text-align:center;"|6

| style="text-align:center;"|5

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|11

| style="text-align:center;"|—

| style="text-align:center;"|71

| style="text-align:center;"|13