Jazz and Blues - The Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band with special tribute to Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson

Tickets are now sold out online.  Limited tickets will be available at the door beginning at 5:30pm payable in cash only.  Regular admission is $7, Friends members admission is $5 and children under 12 are free.

Billy Davis is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Doo Wop Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Billy was the lead guitarist for Hank Ballard and The Midnighters for 30 years. Born in Bentonia, MS in 1938, by the age of 17, Billy Davis & The Upsetters became Berry Gordy’s first in-house live 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 about guitar and his special sound which in later years became the signature for many other musicians.

Billy Davis is a hard-working guitarist, associated throughout the years with well-known musical contemporaries 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 “The Twist” when with Hank Ballard, which was later popularized with Chubby Checker’s version. In 1988 Billy appeared in the cult film Tapeheads with John Cusack and Tim Robbins. Billy has been very active recording several albums including original songs, as well as collaborating with many other artists when called upon. He has continued to share his great insight into the 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 music magazines. He can be seen in the music documentary films Re-Mastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke and Paradise Boogie.

Billy continues to carry the torch in the music industry as he is a treasured music legend in his own time. His memoir, tell-all book, Billy Davis: Odyssey of 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 Rhythm Machine Band. Mighty Michael, 14 years old, plays harmonica and guitar and sings. Michael has been performing since he was 7 years old. He has won many awards and nominations including a 2018 Detroit Music Award nomination, 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 Scholar and has been awarded a 2022 Master Class Youth Scholarship by the Pinetop Perkins Foundation in Clarksdale, MS.

Join us before the concert at 6pm for a tribute to Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson.
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson often attended our Jazz & 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.

Advanced tickets available for $8.
 
Limited tickets available at the door.  $7 general admission or $5 for Friends of the Southfield Public Library members. No charge for children under 12.

Photo by: Richard Blondy

KR