Singer of Songs – Teller of Tales

Mississippi-born singer-songwriter Paul Davis debuted as a country singer in 1970. This 1977 album and its No. 7 single ‘I Go Crazy’ made him a star overnight. His fifth album includes that beautiful ballad, counted among AOR's finest songs, along with the mid-tempo mellow pop of ‘Sweet Life’ and the powerful, light-footed ‘Darlin'.’ With fine songs throughout, it cannot be omitted from any account of American AOR.

His early records had a simple folk or strongly country-flavoured style quite removed from AOR. Rolling Stone described it as having ‘sugary emotionalism, flat instrumental backdrops, but undeniably good singing’; music insiders were already noticing his potential. Ride 'Em Cowboy (1974), his third album, strengthened the country-rock element and set him on an upward path. This album and Cool Night (1981), his seventh and another masterpiece, brought success through their title songs, the latter reaching No. 11 in America. In April 2008, just as he had begun recording again after a long absence, he died of heart failure.