Tickets are now sold out online. \; Limited tickets wil l be available at the door beginning at 5:30pm payable in cash only. \ ; Regular admission is $7\, Friends members admission is $5 and children u nder 12 are free.
\nBilly Davis is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame\, Doo Wop Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm &\; Blues H all of Fame. Billy was the lead guitarist for Hank Ballard and The Midnigh ters for 30 years. Born in Bentonia\, MS in 1938\, by the age of 17\, Bill y Davis &\; The Upsetters became Berry Gordy&rsquo\;s first in-house li ve band. He was the guitarist for Jackie Wilson\, Sam Cooke\, Ben E. King\ , and many other artists including Martha and The Vandellas. Billy was the mentor and lifelong friend of Jimi Hendrix teaching him what he knew abou t guitar and his special sound which in later years became the signature f or many other musicians.
\n
Billy Davis is a hard-working guita
rist\, associated throughout the years with well-known musical contemporar
ies such as James Brown\, David Ruffin\, Chubby Checker and Berry Gordy\;
with fans as famous as Bruce Willis\, Danny Glover and many others. Billy
co-wrote music for many famous hits including &ldquo\;The Twist&rdquo\; wh
en with Hank Ballard\, which was later popularized with Chubby Checker&rsq
uo\;s version. In 1988 Billy appeared in the cult film Tapeheads with John
Cusack and Tim Robbins. Billy has been very active recording several albu
ms including original songs\, as well as collaborating with many other art
ists when called upon. He has continued to share his great insight into th
e music world and his golden memories of working with the greats as he is
interviewed on many local and national radio stations and in national musi
c magazines. He can be seen in the music documentary films Re-Mastered: Th
e Two Killings of Sam Cooke and Paradise Boogie.
Billy conti
nues to carry the torch in the music industry as he is a treasured music l
egend in his own time. His memoir\, tell-all book\, Billy Davis: Odyssey o
f a Music Legend will be available soon. He continues to mentor as he has
included Mighty Michael Mendelson as special guest with his Billy Davis Rh
ythm Machine Band. Mighty Michael\, 14 years old\, plays harmonica and gui
tar and sings. Michael has been performing since he was 7 years old. He ha
s won many awards and nominations including a 2018 Detroit Music Award nom
ination\, a 2019 Detroit Black Music Award\, a 2019 SPAH (Society for the
Preservation &\; Advancement of Harmonica) Youth Scholarship in Tulsa\,
OK\, and represented the USA in 2021. He is currently a 2022 SPAH Youth S
cholar and has been awarded a 2022 Master Class Youth Scholarship by the P
inetop Perkins Foundation in Clarksdale\, MS.
\;
\nJoin
us before the concert at 6pm for a tribute to Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Al
exander Jefferson.
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson often attended our Ja
zz &\; Blues Concerts. Sadly\, he passed on June 22\, 2022\, at the age
of 100. We respectfully salute Lt. Col. Jefferson and all Tuskegee Airmen
for their outstanding service.
\;
\nAdvanced tickets a
vailable for $8.
\;
Limited tickets available at the door.
\;$7 general admission or $5 for Friends of the Southfield Public Lib
rary members. No charge for children under 12.
\;
\nPho to by: Richard Blondy
\n\;
\nKR
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