About Billy Davis
By giving us songs such as ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony),’ ‘Rescue Me,’ ‘Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet),’ and ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher,’ Billy Davis guaranteed that he would remain forever in the affections of music loving fans everywhere. There was so much more to his career.

Roquel “Billy” Davis was born on 11 July 1932 in Detroit and was raised in modest but happy circumstances. His cousin was Lawrence Payton, later of the Four Tops who were destined to become one of the most popular vocal groups ever. In the early 1950s, Motor City was gripped by fiery pioneering R&B vocal groups such as the Dominoes and the Midnighters. Suitably impressed, Billy formed with Payton, the Thrillers, and an early recording was taken up by 4-Star Records in 1953. Now known as the Five Jets, they landed a deal with De Luxe Records, the King subsidiary. The introduction was made by local record shop owner and producer Joe Von Battle, who convinced Billy that he had the talent to become a better songwriter than a singer.

In 1956, that brilliant record man Leonard Chess secured two of Billy’s songs for his top vocal groups, the Moonglows and the Flamingos: ‘See Saw’ and ‘A Kiss From Your Lips’ respectively. Before long, Billy was privileged to attend sessions by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in their supreme prime. Berry even recorded one of Billy’s songs, ‘Too Pooped To Pop’ (1960). There was no doubt that Billy was being groomed by Leonard Chess for a major role in the expanding Chess organization.

Under the song writing pseudonym of Tyran Carlo, Billy had become involved with the string of Jackie Wilson’s career-launching hits in partnership with the founder of Tamla/Motown Records, Berry Gordy: ‘Reet Petite (1957),’ ‘To Be Loved,’ ‘Lonely Teardrops’ (1958), ‘That’s Why (I Love You So)’ and ‘I’ll Be Satisfied’ (1959). Among this run of hits came the launch of Tamla Records by Gordy. With the young label still finding its way, Marv Johnson’s early hits were placed with United Artists, including a Berry Gordy-Billy Davis-Gwen Gordy composition, ‘You Got What It Takes’ (1959). Here were the roots of the famous Motown sound. Billy formed the Anna label with Berry’s sister Gwen, and had national hits with Paul Gayten’s ‘The Hunch’ (1959) and Barrett Strong’s ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ (1960). Other artists included Joe Tex, Ty Hunter, and David Ruffin (later of the Temptations).

Having given Etta James her vital debut hit ‘All I Could Do Was Cry,’ Billy received an unrefusable offer from Leonard Chess to work in Chicago. So in 1961 Davis packed his bags, dropped Anna, and in effect turned his back on the fledgling Tamla organization. With the Chess brothers, he formed a joint venture publishing called Chevis Music (an amalgam of Chess and Davis).

Through Billy’s considerable help, Chess made the crucial transition from blues and R&B to soul. His production successes included ‘Slip-In Mules (No High Heel Sneakers)’ by Sugar Pie DeSanto, ‘Selfish One’ by Jackie Ross, ‘We’re Gonna Make It’ and ‘Who’s Cheating Who?’ by Little Milton, ‘Sitting In The Park’ and ‘I Do Love You’ by Billy Stewart, and the biggest of all ‘Rescue Me’ by Fontella Bass. In 1967 Billy published the classic Jackie Wilson song, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher.”

With the independent record scene changing, Billy took up a unique post in 1968 as Music Director with the McCann-Erickson advertising agency on Madison Avenue, New York. There he introduced real songs into advertisements, a new creative strategy for the time. The highlight, among many, is the Coca Cola campaign that has become the most popular TV and radio commercial ever, with its legendary hilltop scene and featuring the song ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony).’

From Motown to Madison Avenue and beyond… with a career that has spanned four decades, Billy’s music and advertising industry successes speak from themselves. So if you happen to be in Japan, Mexico, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, England, or your own living room, just turn on the TV or radio, sit back and savor the next tune you hear. There’s a good chance it will be Billy’s creative genius that you’re enjoying. His experienced staff, which was trained under him, continues his outstanding work.

John Broven
(Author of the upcoming book due in fall 2006, “Independent Record Men: The Dreams and Schemes of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneers.” Included will be a section on Billy Davis’s career based on John’s interviews with Billy).