Steve Davis
Steve Davis - The West Virginia Creeper
Was Commander Cody's first pedal steel guitar player and member of the rock and roll band at the University of Michigan - The Surfing Beevers. Lost Planet Airmen George Frayne and John Tichy were the original members of the Beevers and Steve joined as base player from 1965 to 1969 with a break in 1966 to be in the Peace Corps in Ecuador. Tichy, Frayne and Davis lived in a house in Ann Arbor and during this time became influenced by the music of Bob Wills, Buck Owens, and others. Steve had always played electric guitar but as there were an abundance of guitar players, he switched to electric bass. The steel guitar became Steve's passion and in 1968 he went to Nashville and got his first steel guitar. It was an eight string Sho-Bud which he got directly from Shot Jackson. Steve stayed in Nashville working at a car wash and sitting at the side of the balcony at the Ryman Auditorium where he could see the steel players - like Lloyd Green accompany the singers. Steve's musical passion had been influenced while he was in South America and Latin and Brazilian Music were always important to him. At the yearly DJ's Convention in Nashville in 1968 on the fith floor Curly Chalker had his band and "I spent hours soaking up his masterful music".
When Bill Kirtchen convinced Commander Cody to go west in August 1969, Steve went along in the van to California. Steve's desire for the Lost Planet Airmen to stay put and "woodshed" put him at odds with the wishes of others who, having now recorded a hot album, wanted to hit the road. On one of the road trips Steve decided to quit the band. Later he regretted the decision but Bobby Black had already taken over the position.
The Creeper's place in Commander Cody's success has always been controversial. Creeper was the first pedal steel player in the Bay Area to play in a psychodellic hillbilly band and the importance of the incorporation of the pedal steel into a counter culture rockabilly band cannot be denied. After quitting the Cody band Steve continued his playing with Stony Edwards and toured the West.
References
This article "Steve Davis" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Steve Davis. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
|
This page exists already on Wikipedia. |
