LARRY DAVIS

Biography

Larry Davis was an American electric Texas blues and soul blues musician born on December 4, 1936, in Kansas City, Missouri, and died on April 19, 1994, in Los Angeles, California. He emerged as a significant figure in the Texas blues scene during the 1950s, debuting on vinyl in 1958 with Duke Records. Davis became best known for co-composing and recording "Texas Flood," a seminal blues composition that would later become iconic through Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition, though Davis's original version remains a superlative example of electric Texas blues guitar work.

Throughout his career spanning from the 1950s through the 1990s, Davis maintained a distinctive style rooted in electric Texas blues with soul blues influences. His work demonstrated masterful guitar playing and authentic blues vocals that captured the essence of the regional Texas blues tradition. While Davis never achieved the mainstream commercial success of some of his contemporaries, his contributions to blues music remained influential within the genre, particularly through his songwriting and his role in establishing the "Texas Flood" composition as a blues standard.

Fun Facts

• Larry Davis shares his birth date (December 4) with the current date of this research, making today his birthday anniversary
• Davis's original 1958 Duke Records version of "Texas Flood" predates and established the composition that would become Stevie Ray Vaughan's breakthrough hit by over two decades
• Davis was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but became primarily associated with the Texas blues tradition through his musical style and career development
• Despite his significant contributions to blues music, Davis maintained a relatively modest popularity score of 31 on Spotify, reflecting the challenges many classic blues artists face in reaching modern streaming audiences

Musical Connections

Artists Influenced

• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Vaughan's recording of "Texas Flood" launched his career; the song was co-written and originally recorded by Larry Davis (Texas Flood) [1983 onwards]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Texas Flood
2. Givin' Up On Love (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
3. I Tried (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
4. I'm A Honey Bee (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
5. Addressing The Nation With Blues (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
6. I Don't Have A Mother (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
7. As The Years Go Passing By (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
8. Teardrops (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
9. What Is This (Blues Knights-Chicago Blues Festival 1985 (Blues Reference))
10. Dance With My Father (Final Answer)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)