Chanteur, saxophoniste, fiddler et harmoniciste Country US, né le 8 Juillet 1914 à  Wills Point (Texas). Link Davis s'intéressa au Western Swing et débuta dans les Crystal Springs Ramblers en 1937, puis il passe avec Cliff Bruner & the Texas Wanderers en 1940. Après la guerre, il enregistre pour les labels Goldstar, Imperial, Okeh, Columbia, Nucraft, Starday, Western, Bayou et Sarg Records. Jusqu'à sa mort le 5 Février 1972, Link Davis enregistra aussi pour les labels: Allstar (58), Tanker (59), Paradise, Venus, All Boys, Kool, Stoneway, Crazy Cajun, Mercury (68) et Princess Records.

Link Davis was born in 1914 in Wills Point, Van Zandt County, TX, near Dallas. One of eight children, he formed a trio with two of his brothers during the late '20s, playing local dances. A natural musician, Davis started out playing the fiddle and later took up the saxophone. He gravitated toward Western swing music when he turned professional and one of his earliest known steady gigs was as a member of the Crystal Springs Ramblers, a Fort Worth-based outfit with which he cut his first record in 1937. It was after passing through several other local bands that Davis became a member of Cliff Bruner & the Texas Wanderers, playing fiddle or saxophone on a number of their records during the early '40s. He tried forming his own band — later known as the Blue Bonnet Playboys — in 1945, and cut his first solo sides in 1948. Davis moved to the Gold Star label the following year for one release, which included his version of "Good Rockin' Tonight," retitled "Have You Heard the News."
Davis spent the 1950s working under a variety of names, as well as backing various other musicians, including bandleader Benny Leaders, Floyd Tillman, and Smith Spadacene (working as "the Harmonica Kid") on fiddle or saxophone, occasionally singing with them, and making music in a variety of idioms and styles, ranging from country blues and Cajun music to rockabilly. He was equally capable in all of these areas — as far back as 1949, he'd cut a hot adaptation of "Good Rockin' Tonight" under the title "Have You Heard the News" — and could easily have been a competitor in the new field of rock & roll when it began breaking out in the middle of the decade. Some of the flavor of his stuff, such as "Grasshopper," was a little too southern to ever find favor outside of the region, but he was better suited in style to the new music than many other country music veterans who tried it on for size. Moving between the Starday, OKeh, Columbia, Nucraft, Sarg, and Allstar labels, and his own Western and Tanker labels, among many others, he left behind a significant legacy spread among all of those variant styles, which may be one reason Davis isn't better known. A fixture in the industry, he was too good at too many different kinds of sounds and not great enough in any one of them to make a deep impression with the public. He did earn a spot in the footnotes of rock & roll history by accompanying the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" and Johnny Preston on "Running Bear," but most of Davis' recognition would reside in the country field.
Even into the 1960s, he occasionally made a foray into rock & roll with songs like "Rice and Gravy," but he failed to make a lasting impression in the field. He continued to be a top session musician and cut records in Western swing, Cajun, and blues style throughout the decade for different labels, mostly based in Houston, TX, until he was sidelined by a stroke late in the decade. After that, Davis' activities were far more limited, until his death in 1972 at age 57. It's only in the 1990s, some 20 years after his death, with the deep reissues of music by Cliff Bruner and Floyd Tillman, that Davis' wide-ranging contributions to country music, Western swing, and rock & roll fully began to be acknowledged. His son, Link Davis Jr., also a multi-instrumentalist, has similarly worked in a multitude of musical idioms, including recordings with Asleep at the Wheel and one of the latter-day incarnations of the 13th Floor Elevators.

Talents : Vocals, Saxophone, Fiddle, Harmonica

Style musical : Cajun, Western Swing, Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll

BIG MAMOU (1953)

SIXTEEN CHICKS (1956)

DON'T BIG SHOT ME (1956)

TRUCKER FROM TENNESSEE (1956)

COCKROACH (1956)

Years in activity :

1910 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 2000 10 20

DISCOGRAPHY

78 t. & Singles

1947 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8004 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - My Pretty Blonde / Born To Love You
1947 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8008 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - Tired Of Being Lonesome / Why Did You Go Away
1947 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8009 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - I'm Tired / I'm Waiting For You
1948 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8018 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - Rice And Gravy Blues / Rice And Gravy Boogie (instr.)
1948 78 t.  BAYOU 3001 (US) Broken Heart / You Played Around
1948 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8025 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - You Loved Me Too Late / I'm Grieving Over You
1948 78 t.  IMPERIAL 8030 (US) Link DAVIS & The BLUE BONNET PLAY BOYS - Steel Guitar Jump / You Low Down Conceited Dog
1949 78 t.  GOLDSTAR 670 (US) Have You Heard The News / Joe Turner
02/1953 78 t. OKEH 18001 (US) Link DAVIS with Benny LEADER'S BAYOU BILLIES - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon
02/1953 SP. OKEH 4-18001 (US) Link DAVIS with Benny LEADER'S BAYOU BILLIES - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon
04/1953 78 t. OKEH 18011 (US) Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell
04/1953 SP. OKEH 4-18011 (US) Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell
05/1953 78 t. OKEH 18025 (US) Mamou Waltz / Hey, Garcon !
05/1953 SP. OKEH 4-18025 (US) Mamou Waltz / Hey, Garcon !
03/1954 78 t. OKEH 18035 (US) Link DAVIS & his BAYOU BILLIES - Falling For You / Gumbo Ya-Ya
03/1954 SP. OKEH 4-18035 (US) Link DAVIS & his BAYOU BILLIES - Falling For You / Gumbo Ya-Ya
07/1954 78 t. OKEH 18048 (US) The Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute
07/1954 SP. OKEH 4-18048 (US) The Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute
10/1954 78 t. OKEH 18057 (US) Mama Say No / You Show Up Missing
10/1954 SP. OKEH 4-18057 (US) Mama Say No / You Show Up Missing
02/1955 78 t. COLUMBIA 21350 (US) Va Tchacher / Kajalena
02/1955 SP COLUMBIA 4-21350 (US) Va Tchacher / Kajalena
07/1955 SP NUCRAFT 2026 (US) Grasshopper (Link Davis) / Magnolia Garden Waltz (Floyd TILLMAN)
08/1955 78 t. COLUMBIA 21431 (US) Cajun Love / Every Time I Pass Your Door
08/1955 SP COLUMBIA 4-21431 (US) Cajun Love / Every Time I Pass Your Door
04/1956 78 t. STARDAY 235 (US) Sixteen Chicks / Deep In The Heart Of A Fool
04/1956 SP STARDAY 45-235 (US) Sixteen Chicks / Deep In The Heart Of A Fool
05/1956 SP STARDAY 45-242 (US) Sixteen Chicks / Grasshopper Rock
08/1956 SP STARDAY 45-255 (US) Don't Big Shot Me / Trucker From Tennessee
07/1956 SP SARG 136-45 (US) Cockroach / Big Houston
12/1956 SP STARDAY 45-275 (US) Bayou Buffalo / Would You Be Waiting
1956 SP Western GS 1072/3 (US) Save A Little For Me (Floyd TILLMAN) / Big Houston (Link Davis)
05/1957 SP STARDAY 45-293 (US) Slippin' And Slidin' Sometimes / Allons A Lafayette
11/1957 SP STARDAY 45-331 (US) Big Coonie / Waltz Of The Jambalaya
10/1958 SP ALLSTAR 7171-45 (US) Bon-Ta-Ru-La / Memories With You
05/1959 SP ALLSTAR 7185-45 (US) Ballad Of Jole Blon / Visions
08/1959 SP TANKER 715 (US) Link DAVIS & The CAJUNS - Permit Blues / Airliner
05/1960 SP ALLSTAR 7203-45 (US) Tee Mamou / Little People
04/1960 SP D 1135 (US) Big Coonie / Waltz Of The Jambalaya
05/1960 SP ALLSTAR 7305-45 (US) Big Mamou / Louisiana Waltz
06/1961 SP D 1191 (US) Come Dance With Me / Five Miles From Town
1961 SP AL'S 1501 (US) 1 Rice & Gravy / Ferry Ride  [instr.]
1961 SP AL'S 1503 (US) Johnny Be Good / My Last Good-Bye
1962 SP VENUS 1447 (US) Strolling / I Played That Song For You
10/1962 SP ALL BOY 45-8505 (US) Little Red Boat / Forget-Me-Nots
02/1963 SP ALL BOY 45-8508 (US) Guy From Big Mamou / Jole Blonde
1963 SP PARADISE 1007 (US) Whenever You Find Your love / Only Pulling My Leg
03/1964 SP KOOL 1026 (US) Beatle Bug  [instr.] (Link DAVIS, Man With The Buzzin' Sax) / I Keep Wanting You More
09/1964 SP ALLSTAR 7305 (US) Big Mamou / Louisiana Waltz
07/1965 SP PARADISE 1014 (US) Orange Blossoms / Feu Doplet
1965 SP CRAZY CAJUN 517 (US) Huey MEAUX - I Dreamed Of My Buddies / Don't Let Go
1965 SP CRAZY CAJUN 521 (US) Link DAVIS - Marc SAVOY - Air Mail / Red Bandana
1965 SP CRAZY CAJUN 526 (US) Cajun Honey / Big Mamou
1965 SP PRINCESS 4038 (US) If It's Wrong To Love You / I Love You A Thousand Ways
1966 SP PRINCESS 4057 (US) Link "Big Mamou" DAVIS - Albuquerque / Face In The Glass
1969 SP STONEWAY 1053 (US) Big Mamou / Louisiana Waltz
1969 SP VENUS 1447 (US) Strolling / I Played That Song For You
1970 SP WESTERN 1001 (US) Johnny Be Good / ?
1970 SP WESTERN 1004 (US) Jogging / You Gave Me This Broken Heart
1971 SP ODLE 119 (US) Forget Me Not / The Face In The Glass / Kalinda / Cajun Doll















Albums

11/1969 LP 12" MERCURY SR-61243 (US) CAJUN CRAWDADDY - Pretty Little Dedon / Big Mamou / Strollin' / Big Houston / Hobo Blues / Doctor Knows His Business / Katalin / Going To Lafayette / I Played That Song For You / Cajun Honey / My Confession / Rice And Gravy Fever / Jolé Blon / Sugar Bee
1975 LP 12" CRAZY CAJUN CCLP-1004 (US) BIG MAMOU - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon / Mamou Waltz / Hey Garcon / Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell / Gumbo Ya Ya (Everybody Talks At Once) / Falling For You / Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute / Mama Say No / Everytime I Pass Your Door / You Show Up Missing / Cajun Love / Kajalena / Va T'cacher (Go Hide Yourself)
1989 LP 12" EDSEL ED-279 (UK) (US) BIG MAMOU - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon / Mamou Waltz / Hey Garçon! / Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell / Gumbo Ya Ya (Everybody Talks At Once) / Falling For You / Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute / Mama Say No / Every Time I Pass Your Door / You Show Up Missing / Cajun Love / Kajalena / Va T'Cacher (Go Hide Yourself)
04/1991 CD KRAZY KAT KKCD-6 (UK) LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL - Joe Turner / Have You Heard The News / Steel Guitar Jump / You Played Around / Baby I Just Want You (Floyd TILLMAN) / Save A Little For Me (Floyd TILLMAN) / O.P.S. Blues (102 RANCH BOYS/HARMONICA KID) / Coo-Coo-Coo (HARMONICA KID) / Blon (HARMONICA KID) / Grasshopper / I'll Keep On Crying (STRING BAND/HARMONICA KID) / All The World Is Lonely Now (Benny LEADERS & The WESTERN RANGERS) / Rice And Gravy Boogie / Rice And Gravy Blues / Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) / Permit Blues / Airliner / Rice And Gravy / Big Mamou / Beatle Bug
199? CD COLLECTABLES COL-CD-5341 (US) THE GUYS FROM BIG MAMOU - Joey LONG & Link DAVIS - Rice And Gravy Blues (Link DAVIS) / The Guy From Big Mamou (Link DAVIS) / Little Red Boat (Link DAVIS) / Cockroach (Link DAVIS) / Bon Tu Ru La (Link DAVIS) / Grasshopper (Link DAVIS) / Beatle Bug (Link DAVIS) / Cajun Doll (Link DAVIS) / Something To Ease My Pain (Joey LONG) / If You see My Baby (Joey LONG) / I Need Someone (Joey LONG) / Lealla (Joey LONG) / The Blues Just Walked In (Joey LONG) / The Rains Came (Joey LONG)
05/1996 CD COLLECTABLES COL-CD-5594 (US) CAJUN BLUES - Papa Link DAVIS - Cajun Blues / Fou Foulet / Little Red Boat / Bon Tu Ru La / Cockroach / Big Houston / Rice And Gravy Blues / You Played Around / Permit Blues / Airliner / Big Mamou / Grasshopper / Beatle Bug / You Were Only Pulling My Leg / Whenever You Find Love / Forget Me Nots
05/1999 CD EDSEL EDCD-279 (UK) BIG MAMOU BOOGIE - Papa Link DAVIS - (Live With Me In) Big Mamou / Red Bandana / Let's Go To Big Houston / Let's Go Little Dee Don / Jolie Blonde / I Played That Song For You / Face In The Glass / Blues For Louisiana / Sugar Bee / Albuquerque / I Passed In Front Of Your Door
05/2008  CD REVOLA 252 (UK) GUMBO YA-YA - THE BEST OF 1948-58 - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon / Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell / Mamou Waltz / Hey, Garcon! / Falling For You / Gumbo Ya-Ya (Everybody Talks At Once) / Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute / Mama Say No / You Show Up Missing / Every Time I Pass Your Door / Cajun Love / Kajalena / Va T'Cacher (Go Hide Yourself) / Joe Turner / Have You Heard The News / Grasshopper / Sixteen Chicks / Grasshopper Rock / Trucker From Tennessee / Don't Big Shot Me / Cockroach / Slippin' And Slidin' Sometimes / Bon-Ton-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) / Rice & Gravy Blues / You Played Around / Rice & Gravy Boogie / San Antonio Blues
02/2009 CD BEAR FAMILY BCD 16523 (GER) BIG MAMOU - Big Mamou / Pretty Little Dedon / Lafayette Wedding / Rice And Gravy Blues / Chere Petite (Dear Little One) / Port Arthur / Lonely Heart / Time Will Tell / Mamou Waltz / Hey, Garcon! / Falling For You / Gumbo Ya-Ya (Everybody Talks At Once) / The Crawfish Crawl / You're Little But You're Cute / Mama Say No / You Show Up Missing / Everytime I Pass Your Door / Cajun Love / Kajalena / Va t'cacher (Go Hide Yourself) / Sixteen Chicks / Deep In The Heart Of A Fool / Don't Big Shot Me / Grasshopper Rock / Trucker From Tennessee / Bayou Buffalo / Would You Be Waiting / Slippin' And Slidin' Sometimes / Allons A Lafayette / Waltz Of The Jambalaya / Big Coonie (Two-Step) / Bayou Buffalo / Slippin' And Slidin' Sometimes / Big Coonie (Two-Step)
2010 CD BACM CD D 307 (UK) JERRY IRBY & LINK DAVIS - TEXAS SWING - I'm Gonna Get Tight (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / If I Had A Great Long Pistol (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Too Many Women (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Texas Gal Polka (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / My Pretty Blonde (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Tired Of Being Lonesome (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) /  Born To Love You (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Why Did You Go Away (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / There's Nothing Left For Me (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Ball And Chain; Don't Lie My Darlin' (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / By The Rio Grande (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / I'm Tired (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / I'm Waiting For You (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Hillbilly Boogie (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / My Gal From Tennessee (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Uptown Swing (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / My Life Is Full Of Sorrow (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Mama Don't Allow (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Tell Me Do You Care (Jerry IRBY & His TEXAS RANCHERS) / Rice And Gravy Blues (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Broken Heart (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / You Played Around (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Rice And Gravy Boogie (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Texas Swing (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / Steel Guitar Jump (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / You Low Down Conceited Dog (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / You Loved Me Too Late (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS) / I'm Grieving Over You (Link DAVIS & His BLUEBONNET PLAYBOYS)
10/2021 LP 10" + CD BEAR FAMILY BAF 14020 (GER) (limited edition) Laissez Les Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) :
LP : Come Dance With Me / Permit Blues / Grasshopper Rock / Johnny Be Good / Don’t Big Shot Me / Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) / Sixteen Chicks / Airliner / Rice And Gravy  / Trucker From Tennessee / You Show Up Missing / Grasshopper
CD : Come Dance With Me / Permit Blues / Grasshopper Rock / Johnny Be Good / Don’t Big Shot Me / Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) / Sixteen Chicks / Airliner / Rice And Gravy / Trucker From Tennessee / You Show Up Missing / Grasshopper / Plus : Have You Heard The News (Good Rockin’ Tonight) / Allons A Lafayette / Rice And Gravy Blues / Beatle Bug / Visions / Joe Turner / Ballad Of Jole Blon / Rice And Gravy Boogie / Memories With You / Jogging / San Antonio Blues (Cliff Bruner & His Texas Wanderer - Vocals : Link Davis) / Texas Swing / Slippin’ And Slidin’ Sometimes / Big Mamou

© Rocky Productions 2/05/2022