Larry Davis

by Bill DahlAnyone who associates Texas Flood only with Stevie Ray Vaughan has never auditioned Larry Davis version. Davis debuted on vinyl in 1958 with the song, his superlative Duke Records original remaining definitive to this day despite Vaughans impassioned revival many years down the road. Davis grew up in Little Rock, AR, giving up the drums to play bass. Forging an intermittent partnership with guitarist Fenton Robinson during the mid-50s, the pair signed with Don Robeys Duke label on the recommendation of Bobby Bland. Three Davis 45s resulted, including Texas Flood and Angels in Houston, before Robey cut Davis loose. From there, Davis was forced to make the most of limited opportunities in the studio. He lived in St. Louis for a spell and took up the guitar under Albert Kings tutelage while playing bass in Kings band. A handful of singles for Virgo and Kent and a serious 1972 motorcycle accident that temporarily paralyzed Davis left side preceded an impressive 1982 album for Rooster Blues, Funny Stuff, produced by Gateway City mainstay Oliver Sain. But follow-up options remained hard to come by: few blues fans could find a copy of the guitarists 1987 Pulsar LP I Aint Beggin Nobody. Finally, in 1992, Ron Levys Bulleye Blues logo issued a first-class Davis set, Sooner or Later, that skillfully showcased his rich, booming vocals and concise, Albert King-influenced guitar. Unfortunately, it came later rather than sooner: Davis died of cancer in the spring of 1994.