DON DAVIS DETROIT MUSIC AND BANKING LEGEND DIED AT 75

 

Don Davis

Photo Credit: John Urbanek

Sad news tonight....Don "The Don" Davis perhaps the most successful business mogul in Detroit history passed away yesterday at 75.

DETROIT (June 6, 2014) – The Wilmore Agency regrets to announce the passing of Detroit native Mr. Don Davis after a brief illness on Thursday, June 5th.

Don Davis was CEO and chairman of First Independence Bank, Michigan’s only African-American owned and operated commercial bank, with multiple branches around the City of Detroit. A notably, successful endeavor, Mr. Davis led First Independence Bank with $204 million in assets (as of December 31, 2013), and was ranked as one of the top ranked African American owned bank in the United States, according to Black Enterprise Magazine.

Don Davis famous for his early work as a pioneering Motown session guitarist, then his historic work at United Sound Systems. He produced and/or played on numerous soul hits with the greatest soul artists of the 1960's and 1970s. Don left USS in Detroit and went to work at STAX in Memphis.He produced hits too numerous to list here...but you can see them on BlackRadioNetwork

Don was also a well known philanthropist, Davis partnered with the Lawrence P. Doss Scholarship Foundation to launch The Don Davis Composition Scholarship Award, which assists Detroit's underprivileged students in their educational goals.

Our friend John Neff who worked for Don back in the day has shared many stories about the amazing accomplishments of Don Davis... Read more here

Don passed away after a brief illness yesterday...and more details will be released soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with Don's lovely wife Kiko and his three wonderful children.

TOM GUERRA'S VINTAGE GUITARS USED ON NEW CD "ALL OF THE ABOVE"

Here are some of the guitars used in the making of "All of the Above," 

pic (c) 2014 Joe Lemieux

Tom Guerra L-R: 1959 Stratocaster, 1955 Les Paul TV Special, 1970-1 Fender Stratocaster (solid maple neck), 1960 Stratocaster, 1963 Stratocaster.

GET TOM'S NEW CD "ALL OF THE ABOVE" TODAY!

STEVE KING GRAMMY WINNING DETROIT RECORDING ENGINEER DIED AT 56

Friends of Steve King wrote me last night to say, the Grammy-winning recording engineer best known for his work with Eminem, died Tuesday at Harper University Hospital in Detroit. He was 56. Steve a very well liked in the Detroit Music Business...Sad loss to the music world..Steve died way too young....our thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and colleagues.

Steve worked with all the legends, Eminem, Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, George Clinton,  50 Cent and members of G-Unit. He died on Tuesday in a Harper University hospital not long after being diagnosed with liver disease.

In a statement, Eminem said that, "I'm very sad to hear about Steve King's passing. I had the honor and pleasure of working with Steve on many projects in my earlier years and he was a greatly talented engineer, musician and friend. I will miss Steve's friendly way and sense of humor the most. My condolences go out to his family and all that knew Steve."

NYC ROCK BAND RICKITY NEW DEBUT ALBUM "GREATEST HITS"

NYC – Highly anticipated debut album by “super group” Rickity, a New York City, classic rock 'n' soul band performing great original songs, is now available! Featuring bassist/harpist Randy Pratt, best known for his work with The Lizards, Cactus and Vanilla Fudge, the new album titled 'Greatest Hits' has been released on Hyperspace records. The band members have played, toured the world and recorded with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, The Funky Knights, Seven Turns and The Lizards.

In Rickity they have found their ultimate vehicle of expression. The seasoned rockers have added highly respected R&B vocalist Perrita Kitson and the combination is thrilling. Lead guitarist Jesse Berlin has the chops, soul and imagination to be at the top of the heavy rock universe. His solos are jaw dropping adventures.

Says Randy Pratt, “Our goal is to combine R&B, soul and blues with classic heavy riff rock. Perrita is the real deal. She spent her whole career in R&B, Soul and Jazz..this is her FIRST rock band!”

Perrita adds, “Rickity’s Recipe is take some hard core classic rock, add some funk, and divvy up some really colorful lyrical lines and you have ….. RICKITY. I hope the Rickity band will be appreciated and admired in representing classic rock.. all the way baby!”

The combination of heavy, classic riff rock, world class R&B, catchy hooks and a fearlessly sexy stance makes Rickity special. A Rickity concert has the feel of a “greatest hits” show...every song memorable. Perrita and percussionist/sampler Paul Gifford share lead vocals and do strong harmonies, insuring there is never a dull moment.

Says Randy, “The band formed in my basement, as usual...lol! Our new guitarist, Jesse Berlin, did his first gig with us on his 21st birthday! He's spectacular! The two Pauls and I (Paul Latimer on guitar and keys, Paul Gifford on vocals, percussion and samples) have played together for decades. We can read each other's minds and complete each other's sentences. Neil Cicione is the engine of the band...a total badass on the drums.”

Rickity has shared stages with the likes of The Doobie Brothers, Billy Squier, Rare Earth and headlining as their star continues to rise. The band will be performing at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA opening for Black Oak Arkansas on July 3, 2014!

Says Randy, “We can duplicate everything you hear on our CD live. We have two great singers and we're tight as hell! We are a no B.S., muscular, classic rock band...accent on the HEAVY. We broke some rules with our combining of styles, but it feels natural and intense. Our songs are mostly about sex, so I guess our message is...ENJOY!”
http://cdbaby.com/cd/rickity

IGGY POP: GIMME SOME SKIN BOX SET

Los Angeles, CA - Iggy Pop fans rejoice! Cleopatra Records will be releasing a special limited edition 7-inch singles box set from the undisputed king of modern punk rock, Iggy Pop! The release includes 7 individual 45s featuring exclusive new tracks as well as classic recordings from 1972-73 with the Stooges - all packaged with a full-color booklet, detailed liner notes, a custom 7-inch vinyl adaptor, and collectible patch!

Track List:
(1) I Can’t Explain / Lonely Boy
(2) Cock In My Pocket / Tight Pants
(3) I Got A Right / White Christmas (Guitar Stooge Mix)
(4) Money (That’s What I Want) / Open Up And Bleed (Single Edit)
(5) I Wanna Be Your Dog (Fast Version) / Johanna
(6) Gimme Some Skin / I’m So Glad
(7) Louie Louie / Scene Of The Crime

Seven singles, fourteen sides. The Stooges in their prime, Iggy in his pomp. And all sufficiently sharp and shapely that, even if you’ve never heard the performers in your life, you’ll know that it couldn’t be anybody else.

THE BOYS: BACK WITH A BANG

The Boys – Back with a Bang

On June 20 2014 THE BOYS release their long-requested first new studio album since 1981 on Wolverine Records. Featuring the original founder members and creative core of Matt Dangerfield, Casino Steel and Honest John Plain, the new album “Punk Rock Menopause” is packed with 13 iconic new songs bearing the band’s classic trademark blistering guitars, hard-edged melodies, killer hooks and layered harmonies. It will be released as CD/LP and Digital Download!

www.theboys.co.uk

The Boys Story

Along with the Sex Pistols, Clash and The Damned, The Boys were part of the first wave of the mid-1970’s UK punk explosion. Armed with an arsenal of killer Steel/Dangerfield songs The Boys became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal in January 1977. Highly regarded by the music press and their contemporaries, their well-crafted songs, together with Steel and Dangerfield’s love of harmonies, led to them being described as ‘The Beatles of Punk’ but they could (and should) just as deservedly have been compared to the Ramones – fast, alternately brattish and tongue-in-cheek, and gloriously anthemic.

As Last FM puts it: “The Boys made arguably one of the best LPs of the 70s with their self-titled first album and provided the template for superior Pop Punk before even the Buzzcocks had got out of first gear”.

The Boys were born in September 1975 when singer/guitarist Matt Dangerfield left Mick Jones and Tony James’s fledgling punk band London SS to form a new band with ex-Hollywood Brats songwriter/keyboard player Casino Steel. Dangerfield’s art college pal, guitarist Honest John Plain, was quickly recruited. The following year they held auditions for the bass and drum roles with Kid Reid and Jack Black completing the line-up.

Matt Dangerfield had converted the tiny disused coal cellar of his rented basement flat in Maida Vale into a home recording studio/rehearsal room and as a consequence, 47A Warrington Crescent became extremely important in the development of the UK punk scene in the mid seventies. Mick Jones, Glen Matlock, Tony James, Rat Scabies, Brian James, Gene October, Sid Vicious and Billy Idol were regular visitors. Amongst others, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, London SS, Clash, Chelsea, Generation X and of course, The Boys, made their first recordings there. In this hotbed of creativity Steel and Dangerfield quickly forged a prolific songwriting partnership.

The Boys made their live debut at London’s Hope and Anchor in September 1976. Mick Jones, Billy Idol, Joe Strummer, Tony James and Gene October were in attendance for The Boys first performance. A mere handful of gigs later, they became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal when NEMS Records snapped them up in January 1977.

Having released two albums and three singles with NEMS, they moved to Safari Records in 1979 where two further albums and five more singles followed.

Over the years countless bands have covered The Boys’ back catalogue – from Argentina to Germany and Japan to the USA – and even more artists have cited The Boys as a major influence. According to the privileged few to have heard it in advance, the new album is right up there with its predecessors and destined to add a handful of new ‘Boys Classics’ to the band’s legacy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK!!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK!!

Johnny Bee Badanjek has done more for rock n roll than anyone. His discography is just off the planet. As I was researching different bands to showcase recently...I discovered that damn near everyone one of these groups had a "BEE" connection... Mitch Ryder, The Rockets, Michael Katon, Huck Johns, Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Broken Toys, Nils Lofgren, Max Weinberg, The Detroit Cobras, Brownsville Station, The Romantics, The Look, The Howling Diablos, Dr. John, Albert King and many many more.... Take a look at Bee's Complete Discography

WE ALL LOVE YOU BEE! xxooK