Billy Davis Jr.
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Billy Davis Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Davis Jr. in 1977 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | June 26, 1938 |
| Origin | St. Louis, Missouri, US |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | mccoodavis |
Billy Davis Jr. (born June 26, 1938)[1] is an American singer and musician, best known as a member of the 5th Dimension. Along with his wife Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during 1976 and 1977 with "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)". Davis and McCoo were married in 1969. They became the first African-American married couple to host a network television series, titled The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Show, on CBS in the summer of 1977, the year "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" won a Grammy Award.
Early life
Billy Davis Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[1]
Career
Davis joined The 5th Dimension, then called The Versatiles, in 1966. The group's first big hit was with 1967's "
In 1975, Davis and McCoo left the 5th Dimension and began to perform as a duo. Landing a contract with ABC Records, they recorded their 1976 debut album I Hope We Get to Love in Time. The first single was the title track, which was a moderate hit. The follow-up "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" was an even bigger hit, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1977. Davis and McCoo were awarded a gold single and a gold album as well as a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They released one more album on ABC in 1978, produced by Frank Wilson and containing the ballad "My Reason to Be". The pair signed with CBS Records the following year and released their last album as a duo until October 2008 when they released The Many Faces of Love, a collection of hit songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
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The album Marilyn and Billy featured the song "Saving All My Love for You", later turned into a number one hit by Whitney Houston. It also contained the disco single "Shine On Silver Moon". The pair decided to go solo professionally in the early 1980s.
In 1982, Davis recorded the gospel album Let Me Have a Dream with Rev. James Cleveland. Davis followed that project with a guest appearance on a jazz/pop album by Scott Scheer.
In 2020, Davis and McCoo released their first new album in 30 years,
Theater, television, and film
Davis and McCoo were featured in an episode of the TV variety show Captain and Tennille in the 1970s. They also appeared together on "The Love Boat" Season 4 Episode 5 which aired on 10/20/1978.
Davis starred in the musical Blues in the Night at the Old Globe Theatre. In the role of James "Thunder" Early, he also starred in the North Carolina Theatre production of Dreamgirls. Kay McLain, of the Durham Herald-Sun, wrote "Davis made an endearing character of Early…give him a microphone and the spotlight and he's a pro."
In his guest appearances on the WB's
References
- ^ ISBN 1-881273-17-2.
...my story begins on June 26, 1938, when I was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
- ^ a b Davis, Billy Jr.; McCoo, Marilyn. "Sunday Conversation: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr Return to the Studio After 30 Years with Beatles Tribute Album". Forbes. Interviewed by Steve Baltin.
- ^ "Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis - Questlove Supreme". iheart.com.
External links
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. (official website)
- Billy Davis Jr. at IMDb
- Billy Davis Jr. discography at Discogs
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