Multi-talented

entertainer was

'saved' in 1981

By OSWALD T. BROWN

In the programme for "The Grand Bahama Experience," a marvellous culturally entertaining production staged four nights a week at The Simpson C. Penn Theatre on Queens Highway in Freeport, Gary Davis is described as "a Bahamian renaissance entertainer, recording artist, vocalist, songwriter,

arranger and guitarist extraordinaire."

Gary Davis is all those things and much, much more. Indeed, he has excelled in world of sports as an Olympic boxer, a long distance runner, as a certified tennis teacher, and an excellent baseball pitcher, who even now at age 56 can still command respect from the best hitters in the country if he were to take the mound against them.But it was as an entertainer that this gifted and talented native of Bimini attained a degree of fame in the 1970s and early 1980s before giving it all up after being saved and accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

"It was in 1981 that I was saved," Davis said, in a recent interview. "The last time I actually played in a setting for entertainment was 1983... I used to have a repertoire of about 300 songs that I memorised, but when I got saved the Holy Ghost told me don't play any of those songs, so I just stopped playing and performing them. It was just like I had never been in a night club."

This is the same Gary Davis who wrote and recorder "Funk Machine," which was on top of the American Music Chart for three months in 1976. To put in perspective just how big a deal that was, consider, for example, that in the month of June 1976 some of the songs that were below "Funk Machine" on the

WMBM 1490 Rhythm and Blues most popular tunes included "Something We Can

Feel," by Aretha Franklyn; "Up The Creek," by the Temptations; "Get Up Offa That Thing," by James Brown; "You Don't Have To Go," by the Chilites; "There You Are," by Millie Jackson; and "Everything's Coming," by David Ruffin.

This is the same Gary Davis who wrote such monster Bahamian hits as "Rasha," "High Flying Bird," "Say What You Like," and "Sam Rouge." If you don't remember the latter, it is the popular song whose lyrics include the repetition of the exclamation, "Oh Sam, Oh Sam..."

And this is the same Gary Davis, who at different stages of his career was a member of The Blue Notes and Al Collie and The VIPs, before starting his own group, Gary Davis and The Vendors.

As the third of 11 children born to Richard and Minnie Davis at Bimini, the avenue was opened for Gary's successful career as an entertainer by his late father, who ordered a correspondence course in music from the U.S. School of Music in New York, actually for an older brother, but that brother was not interested in learning music.

Gary was nine years old at the time, and three years later "at the are of 12, I was the youngest person ever to graduate from the U.S. School of Music."

His first real professional engagement as an entertainer was at the Diamond Head Club in West End, Grand Bahama, and he later played at the Jack Tar Hotel in West End with Bobby Smith and the Union Jacks for four years.

This was followed by a stint in Freeport at the Limbo Bar of the King's Inn, where he accompanied legendary Bahamian singer Johnny Kemp, as a guitarist and also performed occasionally as a singer.

Then in 1969, he moved to New Providence when he was invited by singer Marvin Henfield to become a member of The Blue Notes after the group's guitar player, Frankie Zhivargo Young, left. With Henfield as the lead vocalist, Lawrence "Makeba" Rolle on bass, Godfrey "Gully" Deveaux on drums, and Davis as guitarist and vocalist, the Blue Notes became extremely popular as the house band at the Rum Keg in the Nassau Beach Hotel and later at the Back Room of the Balmoral Hotel, located on the property where Sandals now exists.

Davis remained with the Blue Notes from 1969 – 72, subsequently joining Al Collie and The VIPs, based at the Bucaneer Lounge of The Flagler Inn on Paradise Island, with Al Collie on bass, Washie Collie on drums and vocals, Hubert Gibson on the keyboard, and Davis as guitarist and vocalist.

Then in 1974, he formed Gary Davis and The Vendors, with drummer Collyn "Moe" Grant, who is now the drummer with Bahamen; Felix "Cornbread" Ellis, played the saw; Alex Roberts, bassist; and Perry Delancy, lead guitar.

Keyboardist Hubert Gibson later joined the group, and over the next decade, other persons who performed with the group at various stages included Paul Hanna, Stephen Colebrooke and Bobby Colebrooke.

It was with The Vendors that Gary enjoyed his greatest success, with the "Funk Machine" album selling more than one million copies.

His achievements in sports occurred simultaneously with his successful

musical career. With Bimini being a breeding ground for excellent boxers and baseball players, Davis excelled in both sports. As an amateur boxer, he was The Bahamas' Welterweight Golden Gloves champion ain 1971, and represented The Bahamas in boxing at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

As a baseball pitcher, his mastery over hitters was his perfection of a

knuckle ball and slow curve, over which he still has excellent command. He was also a better than average long distance runner.

But God is now at the centre of his life, and his service to Him is his top priority.

"Our main job as Christians is to win people over for Christ by the means he gave us," says Davis. "Everyone is coded with something. God has coded you and sent you here with something I can't do and verse versa. Your gifts are your gifts and my gifts are my gifts."

Noting that when he was saved he was working regularly in a nightclub, Davis added: "I can be a Christian and work in a nightclub, but I cannot draw people to Christ from that venue. So the Holy Ghost told me, 'Your whole life should be of such that everybody would know that you are saved,' and that's when I made a public declaration that I had received Jesus Christ and gave him my heart."

After being saved, he taught Sunday school for 18 year at First Baptist Church, where he was in charge of the Praise Team.

"These last five years, God has placed me in a small but loving fellowship pastored by Rev. Wilber Outten, where I am part of praise team and play in music ministry," says Davis, in reference to the church where he now worships, Freeport Bible Church on West Atlantic Drive.

He does not see his appearance as one of the principal "performers" in "The Grand Bahama Experience" as being inconsistent with his beliefs.

"People know who I am and what I have done for the last 20-odd years," Davis says. "They know that God is at the centre of my life. When God is not at the centre of your life, you are going to worship something – women, sex, money, travel, you name it. There was a time when I had 25 suits and 25 alligator shoes to match. Those kinds of things are not important to me anymore. Everything that I do now, the glory goes to God."

Further reinforcing this point, Davis uses the analogy of an alcoholic who has to sneak by a liquor store or who can't pass by a liquor store without going in.

"When that alcoholic can go into that liquor store and not yield to the

temptation to drink, he is cured," Davis says. "This is a different kind of ministry than entertainment. I view this as part of my musical ministry."

That ministry includes his involvement with a seven-member gospel group called "Mission," headed by Simeon Williams.

This point of view is supported by Frank Penn, producer of "The Grand Bahama Experience."

"Our Government has expressed its intention to promote Christian tourism, and our people have expressed a desire for venues that feature family-oriented entertainment," Penn says. "I feel that 'The Grand Bahama Experience,' a culturally entertaining and educating production, ideally addresses both concerns."

Caption: GARY DAVIS

Posted: Monday December 15, 2003