Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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DAVIS, Jimmie

(b 11 September 1899, Beech Springs LA; d 5 November 2000) Country and gospel singer, songwriter, governor of Louisiana. He is said to have graduated from Louisiana State U and become a professor of history at Dodd College, Shreveport. He sang in vocal group the Tiger Four, appeared on Louisiana Hayride, and worked days in the Shreveport Courthouse. With Victor records '29 he sang in a blues style like Jimmie Rodgers, often with sexual overtones: 'Pistol Packin' Papa', 'Organ Grinder's Blues', 'Pussy Blues'; the switched to the new Decca label '34, where he recorded many of his own compositions. including 'Nobody's Darling But Mine' '35 and 'You Are My Sunshine' '39 (both later covered by Bing Crosby) and Floyd Tillman's 'It Makes No Difference Now' '38. (Scholars now believe that Davis bought 'You Are My Sunshine' from somebody else, a common practice in country music.) He also made 'B' movies such as Strictly In The Groove '42, Frontier Fury '43, Louisiana '47. He was elected Governor of Louisiana '44-8, turned to music full-time, re-elected '60-64, running on a segregationist platform. He co-wrote two songs with Hank Williams when they were on a tour together, later turned to gospel and was named Best Musical Sacred Singer '57. His only success on modern country charts was 'Where The Old Red River Flows' '62. Elected to Country Music Hall Of Fame '72. He was married to Anna Davis of the Chuck Wagon Gang.