VA - Unsung Hero - A Tribute to The Music of Ron Davies

VA - Unsung Hero - A Tribute to The Music of Ron Davies - 2013

Ron Davies was a genius of rhyme and melody. He has been described by his peers as the "quintessential poet” and the "songwriter's writer." John Hadley (a music professor at the University of Oklahoma) was quoted as saying, “I separate the world into two kinds of people, the ones that get Ron Davies and the ones that don’t.”

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana (the oldest son of country singer Tex Dickerson), Ron was influenced by songwriters like Hank Williams, but he also loved the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson and classical guitarist Andrés Segovia. Ron spent his early years living in the South, until his parents separated, and he moved with his two siblings to Washington State. Ron's last name was changed when his mother remarried, and he was adopted by his kind and loving stepfather, Darby Davies, who bought him his first guitar. Ron’s songs often reflect his love of the Pacific Northwest, and yet a longing to get “Back To The South.”

By the time Ron was seventeen, he had written an album’s worth of stellar songs for a Seattle based band called The Wailers, along with a regional hit single entitled "It's You Alone." Ron's unique style of singing and writing (referred to by Joan Baez as a cross between Bob Dylan and John Lennon) caught the attention of A&M record executives in California. Ron was signed to a recording contract in 1968 and released his first solo album, which he called "Silent Song Through The Land," featuring nine of his original compositions including the blues standard "It Ain't Easy." As a side note, the angelic harmony vocals on this album were sung by Ron’s beautiful young wife, Vicki Lynn Davies, who was his singing partner from 1962 to 1974, as well as the mother of his two daughters.

Ron’s career received a major boost in 1970 when Three Dog Night recorded “It Ain’t Easy” and made it the title of their album. Although often miscredited to Ray Davies from The Kinks (Ron displayed his wry sense of humor when he asked his publisher to take some of The Kinks out of his copyright), “It Ain’t Easy” gained international fame when a British artist by the name of David Bowie recorded it on his RCA album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars."

It wasn’t long before Ron Davies’ songs were in demand and being recorded by such iconic artists as Long John Baldry, Dave Edmunds, Joe Cocker, Anne Murray, Dobie Gray, Bettye LaVette, Chris Smithers, Glenn Yarbrough, Merry Clayton, Mitch Ryder and Steppenwolf’s John Kay, to name a few. Australian born pop singer Helen Reddy recorded what would later become one of Ron’s signature songs entitled “Long Hard Climb” and made it the title of her 1973 platinum selling album. This song was also recorded by Maria Muldaur on her 1974 Reprice album "Midnight On The Oasis."

With his newfound success, A&M decided to team Ron up with Grammy award winning engineer, Tommy Vicarri, to co-produce his album, "UFO." Enlisting the help of musicians Billy Preston, Wilton Felder, Andy Newmark, and The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” girl Claudia Lennear, they created a critically acclaimed masterpiece that prompted Rock Magazine to declare Ron Davies “The Best New Songwriter of the Year.”

Ron moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1985 to write for Cedarwood Publishing and later on in his career for Warner/Chappell Music. His talents were quickly recognized when Jerry Jeff Walker recorded "The Man He Used To Be" and two of his songs appeared on the Grammy nominated Joan Baez album "Play Me Backwards." Ron Davies’ songs have also been recorded by Randy Travis, Nancy Griffith, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill and Gail Davies, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chris Scruggs, and Jack White & The Raconteurs.

Although not a professional actor, Ron Davies was cast as the lead character in the George Jones’ video, "old Hard Truth," in 1999. He toured Europe with his sister, country singer Gail Davies, in 2002 and also appeared with her at The Kerrville Folk Festival. Inspired by the reaction he received from the audience (Ron received a standing ovation at the end of his performance) Ron returned to Nashville to record an introspective album entitled "Where Does The Time Go." Sadly, this would be the last album Ron would record. He died of a heart attack on October 30, 2003, leaving behind an amazing legacy of more than 500 songs.

Unsung Hero – A Tribute To The Music of Ron Davies, features 22 of Ron’s finest compositions recorded by some of his favorite artists. This album is a must for any serious connoisseur of good music and poetry.

01. One More Night With You - Gail Davies

02. What Good Is A Secret - John Anderson

03. It's Too Late - Dolly Parton

04. Dark Eyed Gal - Jeff Hanna & Matraca Berg

05. It Ain't Easy - Shelby Lynne

06. Have To Come Down - Jim Lauderdale

07. Say It With Money - Delbert McClinton

08. Long Hard Climb - Mandy Barnett

09. You Stayed Away Too Long - John Prine

10. True Lovers And Friends - Crystal Gayle

11. Hey Honey I'm Home - BR549

12. Steal Across The Border - Gail Davies & Ron Davies

13. Let It Slide - Jimmy Hall

14. Back To The South - Suzy Bogguss

15. More Today Than Yesterday - Vince Gill & Kelly Hogan

16. Innocent Eyes - Kevin Welch

17. Saving It Up For You - Jonell Mosser

18. Walk And Don't Walk - Guy Clark

19. Just The Way It Goes - Robbie Fulks

20. Good Love After Bad - Alison Krauss

21. The Man He Used To Be - Rodney Crowell

22. Lay My Body Down - Bonnie Bramlett

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