Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Paul Davis' Passing


"I sometimes wonder why

All the flowers have to die......"

(first line of "Cool Night" by Paul Davis)
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Go to the Playlist at the bottom of this blog and click on "Cool Night" to hear Paul Davis' voice, singing on.

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This morning in the barn, I walked past the radio just in time to hear the news that Paul Davis died yesterday of a heart attack at age 60. Hopefully, some of you reading this remember Paul Davis, the singer/songwriter. He was one of my faves back in the late '70's and early 80's; I'd instinctively crank up the volume on the car radio when one of his songs was playing.........."I Go Crazy"(1978), "Cool Night"(1981), " '65 Love Affair"(1981).

To my listening ear, Paul Davis had an entirely pleasant-sounding singing voice, gentle and peaceful. I never saw or heard him in person, but I would imagine he was soft-spoken........I could be wrong, of course.

I have the vinyl LP, "Cool Night", which I just now dug out of the closet; the above photo of Paul Davis is from the back of the slipcover. This singer wrote his own songs........something always impressive to me. At the bottom of the credits printed on the album's slipcover it says, "Love to Pam, My friends, and Family.......This one's for Jonathan."

Paul Lavon Davis was born April 21, 1948, and died yesterday in Meridian, Mississippi, the day after his 60th birthday! (My son's birthday is also April 21.) The Wikipedia entry for him states he started out in a local band (in Mississippi, I'm assuming), called "Six Soul Survivors". His 1978 hit, "I Go Crazy" spent 40 weeks in the Top 100, setting a record at the time. In 1988, he was part of a trio song, "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love", with Paul Overstreet and Tanya Tucker, which I vaguely remember.

Anyway........I have always enjoyed Paul Davis' songs, and am sad to hear of his passing. My sympathies to his family and friends.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I DO remember these songs (I think we are from the same generation - I just got started having babies a lot later), but I would never have remembered his name. You're good! I loved, "I Go Crazy." Just listened to it on YouTube and I still like it. My kids, of course, said, "What's that???"

Jeannelle said...

caution,

I'll turn 50 this summer.....goodness, I can hardly believe such a thing. Tell me you're not as old as that!

Yes, I always really liked Paul Davis' songs, because of his pleasant-sounding voice.

Thanks always for stopping by and commenting!

Anonymous said...

just turned 46, but I didn't just admit that! I was older than some of the grandparents last year in pre-school...

Jeannelle said...

caution,

That's funny!

My four kids were rather stretched out in age.....oldest one born in 1981, the youngest in 1992. With the first two, I was the young parent at all the school functions, then with the last two, I became the old parent on the block. It was fun to experience both perspectives.

Caddie said...

Having dementia, I don't know Paul but he has the same birthdate as me. The Queen's falls on April 21st also. I do love a soft voice, especially a man's. Something about it can tumble a heart

Having just found you, I intend to stick around for awhile.

I've been hunting for your biscotti recipe that Brague mentioned on his blog comments. Hmm...Ew, I lub biscotti!

J A Walsh said...

I, too, am 50 something and am listening to Paul Davis' music with renewed interest. On a "Legends of Mississippi" website, Paul is remembered as being very calm and very sweet. He has a love for the Lord, too. His music, for me, is achingly honest and emotionally authentic, something that not many people today know how to express. He lives on in his music and in our hearts.

Jeannelle said...

Thank you for your comments, Sissy and Julia.

Unknown said...

So sad right now! I Go Crazy was and still is one of my favorite songs! To this day if I hear it on the radio I turn it up and listen to it with such passion as if it were the first time I ever heard it! It will never grow old to me! I just happen to be doing my house work singing the song "I Like Dreamin" by Kenny Nolan and went to Youtube to pull it up and play it for my fiance when he came home for lunch. In doing so I saw "I Go Crazy" and played it too. Suddenly I saw the dates of his birth and passing on here and my jaw dropped! I never watch the news so I guess that's how I missed it, but I had no idea that he died and at such a young age! Such a shame! I always loved a song I could actually sing along with and one that made since without the music, something today's songwriters no little about! Thank You for posting this! I'm sure Paul is in a much better place, smiling and writing and singing songs even better than "I Go Crazy", if you can even imagine that! I was born in 65 so you can see how young I was when listening to him! You'll always be in my heart! I Love You Paul!!! R.I.P.

Sese3823@yahoo