Blind Gary Davis
b. 30 April 1896, Laurens, South Carolina, USA, d. 5 May 1972, Hammonton, New Jersey, USA. This highly accomplished guitarist was self-taught from the age of six. Partially blind from an early age, he lost his sight during his late twenties. During the Depression years, he worked as a street singer in North Carolina, playing a formidable repertoire of spirituals, rags, marches and square dance tunes. In 1933, he was ordained a Baptist minister and continued to tour as a gospel preacher. During the mid-30s, he recorded some spiritual and blues songs for ARC. After moving to New York in 1940, he achieved some fame on the folk circuit and subsequently recorded for a number of labels, including Stinson, Riverside, Prestige-Bluesville and Folkways. HARLEM STREET SINGER, released in 1960, was an impressive work, which emphasized his importance to a new generation of listeners. Davis taught guitar and greatly inspired Stefan Grossman. Among Davis's devotees were Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder and Donovan. Davis visited the UK in 1964, and returned as a soloist on several other occasions. He appeared at many music festivals, including Newport in 1968, and was the subject of two television documentaries in 1967 and 1970. He also appeared in the film Black Roots. His importance in the history of black rural music cannot be overestimated.