• NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Blues Scene about music & art.

Barbara Blue Is a Piece of Work, A Very Talented One

January 30, 2023

IBC 2023 Winners Announced

January 29, 2023

The Burney Sisters: Americana Trio from Columbia, Missouri Ready to Set Sail on Cayamo Cruise

January 27, 2023

Dani Wilde Premieres Video for Nostalgic New Single ‘I Miss The World’

January 27, 2023
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram Vimeo
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
  • NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
Home»Featured»Welsh Rocker Spencer Davis Dead at 81
Featured

Welsh Rocker Spencer Davis Dead at 81

JD NashBy JD NashOctober 21, 2020Updated:October 21, 2020No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte WhatsApp
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Spencer Davis, the multi-instrumentalist who helped popularize R&B and the blues in the UK has died. His death came on Monday while in hospital treatment for pneumonia.

Spencer Davis Group 1966 (L_R) Muff Winwood, Spencer Davis, Pete York, Steve Winwood.

 

Born Spencer David Nelson Davies on July 17th, 1939 in Swansea, South Wales, he was influenced early in his life by jazz, skiffle and blues music. Some of his favorite artists included Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry and early American blues masters Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy. Davis began playing both accordion and harmonica at the age of six, and by the time he was 16, was enthralled by the guitar and American R&B. His first band was The Saints and one of his bandmates was a young Bill Wyman. Moving to Birmingham, England to study languages, he found himself in a relationship with Christine Perfect BKA Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac fame.

After seeing a show by the Muff Wood Jazz Band, he immediately approached brothers Muff and Steve Winwood about forming a group. They added drummer Pete York and the Spencer Davis Group was born. Davis played guitar, Steve Winwood was on organ, guitar and vocals, and his older brother Muff was on bass.

By the end of 1966, the group had gained their first number 1 hit, “Keep On Running,” followed quickly by “Somebody Help Me.”

Later in the year their first hit in the US was “Gimme Some Lovin’.” It reached #7 in the US and #2 in the UK. “I’m a Man” came out in January of 1967, going to #9 in the UK and #10 in the US. It would also be the final hit from the group as the brothers Winwood left to pursue other avenues (in Steve’s case it was to form Traffic). After some player changes and a couple more minor hits, the Spencer Davis Group split up in mid-1969.

The group reformed for about a year in the early 70s and then again in 2006 touring in both the US and UK as 2 different lineups with only Davis as an original member.

Davis was also an executive with Island Records in the mid-1970s working with artists such as Bob Marley and Robert Palmer.

In later years, Davis was rightfully recognized as an elder statesman of British rock, influential in the British Invasion.

Messages of condolence have come from artists such as Foghat, and Ginger Baker but perhaps the most touching tribute to Davis came from his one-time bandmate, Steve Winwood who posted:

I’ve known Spencer since I was about 13–he would have been about 22. I was playing a show at Birmingham University with my brother and his band. Spencer, who was a student at Birmingham, was playing with a small group of musicians. We met and the the seeds of The Spencer Davis Group were sown.

Spencer was an early pioneer of the British folk scene, which, in his case embraced folk blues, and eventually what was then called “Rhythm and Blues”. He influenced my tastes in music, he owned the first 12-string guitar I ever saw, and he was taken with the music of Huddie “Lead belly” Ledbetter, and Big Bill Broonzy. I’d already got a big brother who influenced me greatly, and Spencer became like a big brother to me at the time.

He was definitely a man with a vision, and one of the pioneers of the British invasion of America in the sixties. I never went to the U.S. with Spencer, but he later embraced America, and America embraced him.

I feel that he was influential in setting me on the road to becoming a professional musician, and I thank him for that.

 Thank you, Spencer.

Davis is survived by his partner June and three adult children.

*Feature image Joachim Köhler

Spencer Davis Spencer Davis Group Steve Winwood
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
Previous ArticleSteve Lukather and Joseph Williams Announce New Toto Line-Up and Tour
Next Article Tom Petty’s 70th Birthday Bash: Stevie Nicks, Roger McGuinn, Lucinda Williams, Lukas Nelson to Perform
JD Nash

JD Nash is the former host of Blues Influence on WREN radio and current editor-in-chief of American Blues Scene.

Related Posts

Barbara Blue Is a Piece of Work, A Very Talented One

January 30, 2023

10 Things You Didn’t Know About J.J. Cale

January 26, 2023

Shakura S’Aida’s First Album in 10 Years is a Giant Leap Forward

January 24, 2023

World Premiere Track: ‘I Cry For You’ From New GA-20 Live Album ‘Live in Loveland’

January 23, 2023

Comments are closed.

Advertisment
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Videos
  • About

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.