Billy Davis Jr ( Part 1)

Recording and Advertising Executive Extraordinaire.

       He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

The late Billy Davis was born on July 11^th 1932 in Detroit. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a songwriter with Berry Gordy in Detroit during the mid 1950s, creating successful songs for his cousin the late Jackie Wilson, under the pseudonym of Tyran Carlo.

 

Their first major international hit was “Reet Petite” released in 1957 on Brunswick Records, which peaked at number six on the British Pop singles chart listings. Interestingly the record repeated its success in the UK Pop singles chart listings by going to number one on 27^th December 1986, for 4 weeks, almost 30 years after its original release and selling in the excess of 700,000 copies to be certified platinum by the BPI (British Phonographic Industry).

 

Billy Davis also did tremendous work with two legendary recording labels noted for their significant contributions to the popularity of Soul and R&B music amongst the record buying public, Chess Records and Motown Records. He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

                                     
Davis was also involved in the development of Anna Records which started in 1958 and was jointly owned by himself and Berry’s sister Gwen Gordy, whom he dated at that time, before it was brought out by Berry Gordy and became part of the Motown organization.

Researched and compiled by
 Mr K Tomlin Music Historian  
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013