Margo Davidson
Encyclopedia
Margo Isabella Davidson was a founding member of Parachute Club and an advocate for the homeless.
, established in 1893, where she developed her musical talent. Davidson's father died in 1971; she had one brother and two step-siblings. Her brother David was also involved in music, as a high school music teacher.
Davidson arrived in Toronto from Simcoe around 1977, where she commenced playing with local bands. With Toronto female singer Robin Wells, with whom Davidson had been associated in a previous band, Davidson co-founded The Wells-Davidson Band in 1978, playing rhythm and blues and rock music. The band was distinctive as being one of a minority of bands led by two women. At that time, and through the 1980s, Davidson was also notable as one of very few female saxophonists playing professionally, predating such artists as Candy Dulfer
, Katja Rieckermann and Colleen Allen. In terms of the Toronto music scene of the late 1970s, she was a contemporary of Dianne Heatherington
, with whom she played on occasion. Davidson later joined Kid Rainbow, a band established by Toronto singer-songwriter Gary O'Connor
as a means to promote his songs. She also played in a stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
that toured Toronto and area venues.
Both The Wells-Davidson Band and Kid Rainbow met with a degree of local success though it was after being invited in 1982 to form The Parachute Club that Davidson achieved international fame. As a member of The Parachute Club Davidson was the recipient of two Juno Award
s for Most Promising Group of The Year
in 1984 and for Group of the Year
in 1985. Davidson's role with The Parachute Club was primarily as a musician and harmony vocalist, though she is also the co-writer (with John Oates
, Lorraine Segato
and Lauri Conger
) of "Love Is Fire", the lead single from the band's third album, Small Victories.
In relation to her decision to leave the music business noted Canadian singer, songwriter and broadcaster Murray McLauchlan
commented as follows: "On or off the stage, she was so present. She had a spark. It made me happy to see her. It made me happy to see the obvious joy when she played her horn. I respected her decision to seek other paths but I sure missed seeing her around." Filmmaker and Parachute Club lyricist Lynne Fernie described Davidson as follows: "Margo was one of those rare people gifted with a magnetic stage presence. She touched thousands of people's souls with her extraordinary sax solos when she played with The Parachute Club. And she touched all of us who knew her with her wry humour and dedication to music."
In terms of her work on behalf of the homeless, Reverend Brian Burch, President of St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, commented as follows: "She was an important part of making sure that St. Clare's got off the ground and that our first project, transitional housing at 25 Leonard, came into being. I never heard Margo the musician, but I often heard her laugh and give encouragement when we had to deal with politicians, NIMBY
organisations and construction delays....We were fortunate to have as staff and consultants people like...Margo Davidson (yes, the Margo who was part of the Parachute Club), who have poked and prodded us into being a board of management, a challenge given our background in movement activism."
Davidson is interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Simcoe.
Early Background
Margo Davidson was born in Simcoe, Ontario, an unincorporated town with a population of approximately 16,000, on September 28, 1957. She attended Simcoe Composite SchoolSimcoe Composite School
Simcoe Composite School is a high school in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.More than 900 students attend this rural secondary school and courses range from English, French, Spanish, and mathematics to computers, business, athletics, World History, civics, and even drama class. In 2003, the school suffered...
, established in 1893, where she developed her musical talent. Davidson's father died in 1971; she had one brother and two step-siblings. Her brother David was also involved in music, as a high school music teacher.
Musician
Davidson was a saxophonist, percussionist and vocalist with The Parachute Club during its entire recording career and period of its greatest international popularity (1982–1989). Following the initial breakup of the band Davidson, with the exception of the occasional guest performance, chose to leave the music business entirely and spent the balance of her life working with organizations dedicated to assisting the homeless.Davidson arrived in Toronto from Simcoe around 1977, where she commenced playing with local bands. With Toronto female singer Robin Wells, with whom Davidson had been associated in a previous band, Davidson co-founded The Wells-Davidson Band in 1978, playing rhythm and blues and rock music. The band was distinctive as being one of a minority of bands led by two women. At that time, and through the 1980s, Davidson was also notable as one of very few female saxophonists playing professionally, predating such artists as Candy Dulfer
Candy Dulfer
Candy Dulfer is a Dutch smooth jazz alto saxophonist who began playing at the age of six. She founded her band, Funky Stuff, when she was fourteen years old. Her debut album Saxuality received a Grammy Award nomination. Dulfer has released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation...
, Katja Rieckermann and Colleen Allen. In terms of the Toronto music scene of the late 1970s, she was a contemporary of Dianne Heatherington
Dianne Heatherington
Dianne Mae Heatherington was a Canadian singer of several genres, particularly rock, whose musical career spanned nearly two decades...
, with whom she played on occasion. Davidson later joined Kid Rainbow, a band established by Toronto singer-songwriter Gary O'Connor
Gary O'
Gary O'Connor, better known as Gary O is a Canadian singer-songwriter and the son of Canadian musician Billy O'Connor.-Biography:Gary was a member of the 1960s band Cat, who had a popular Canadian hit in 1970 called "We're in This Together"...
as a means to promote his songs. She also played in a stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
that toured Toronto and area venues.
Both The Wells-Davidson Band and Kid Rainbow met with a degree of local success though it was after being invited in 1982 to form The Parachute Club that Davidson achieved international fame. As a member of The Parachute Club Davidson was the recipient of two Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s for Most Promising Group of The Year
Juno Award for New Group of the Year
The Juno Award for the New Group of the Year has been awarded since 1974, as recognition each year for the best new group or band in Canada. The award was originally known as Most Promising Group of the Year, and from 1994–2002 it was known as Best New Group.-Most Promising Group of the Year...
in 1984 and for Group of the Year
Juno Award for Group of the Year
The Juno Award for best Group of the Year has been awarded since 1970, as recognition each year for the best group or band in Canada. It has also been known as Best Group .-Best Group :*1970 - The Guess Who...
in 1985. Davidson's role with The Parachute Club was primarily as a musician and harmony vocalist, though she is also the co-writer (with John Oates
John Oates
John William Oates is an American rock, R&B and soul guitarist, musician, songwriter and producer best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates ....
, Lorraine Segato
Lorraine Segato
Lorraine Segato is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for and a principal songwriter of new wave and pop rock group Parachute Club, with which she continues to perform.- History :...
and Lauri Conger
Lauri Conger
Lauri Conger is notable primarily as the keyboardist and one of the principal co-writers of most of the songs of the Parachute Club.- History :...
) of "Love Is Fire", the lead single from the band's third album, Small Victories.
In relation to her decision to leave the music business noted Canadian singer, songwriter and broadcaster Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan
Murray McLauchlan, CM is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player.-Biography:Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, he emigrated to Canada with his family when he was five years old...
commented as follows: "On or off the stage, she was so present. She had a spark. It made me happy to see her. It made me happy to see the obvious joy when she played her horn. I respected her decision to seek other paths but I sure missed seeing her around." Filmmaker and Parachute Club lyricist Lynne Fernie described Davidson as follows: "Margo was one of those rare people gifted with a magnetic stage presence. She touched thousands of people's souls with her extraordinary sax solos when she played with The Parachute Club. And she touched all of us who knew her with her wry humour and dedication to music."
Advocate for the Homeless
After the initial breakup of The Parachute Club, followed by her choice to leave the music business, Davidson became a creative writer and a director of St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, based in Toronto. She was also an outreach worker at Eva's Phoenix, a transitional housing project dedicated to life skills and homeless youth.In terms of her work on behalf of the homeless, Reverend Brian Burch, President of St. Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, commented as follows: "She was an important part of making sure that St. Clare's got off the ground and that our first project, transitional housing at 25 Leonard, came into being. I never heard Margo the musician, but I often heard her laugh and give encouragement when we had to deal with politicians, NIMBY
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
organisations and construction delays....We were fortunate to have as staff and consultants people like...Margo Davidson (yes, the Margo who was part of the Parachute Club), who have poked and prodded us into being a board of management, a challenge given our background in movement activism."
Death
For much of her life, particularly in her latter years, Davidson was profoundly affected by depression and alcoholism. Davidson died in her Toronto home on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Her funeral and interment were in Simcoe on May 23, 2008. She left no publicly-acknowledged partner. Following Davidson's untimely death, The Parachute Club released the following statement:- Margo Davidson: saxophonist, vocalist, percussionst and a unique gentle and friendly human being. Margo brought a charisma and infectious energy to every performance in the years she played with us in The Parachute Club. A multi-talented musician and vocalist, she was a key component of the original band’s sound, one of the wave of talented women musicians who energized downtown Toronto in the early 80s. Her talent and playfulness were instrumental to the musicianship and comraderie at the heart of the band in its early years. Our sincere condolences to all her family and many friends. She will be missed – and she and her music will be remembered.
Davidson is interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Simcoe.
Singles
| Release date | Title | Chart peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... RPM |
|||
| July 1983 | "Rise Up" | 9 | The Parachute Club |
| 1983 | "Alienation" | ||
| 1984 | "Boy's Club" | ||
| October 1984 | "At The Feet Of The Moon" | 11 | At The Feet of the Moon |
| February 1985 | "Act Of An Innocent" | 61 | |
| June 1985 | "Sexual Intelligence" | ||
| October 1986 | "Love Is Fire" | 24 | Small Victories |
| February 1987 | "Love And Compassion" | 81 | |
| May 1987 | "Walk To The Rhythm" | 90 | |
| January 1988 | "Big Big World" | 93 | Non-album single |
With The Parachute Club
- 1983 The Parachute Club (Current/RCARCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) - 1984 At The Feet of the Moon (Current/RCA)
- 1985 Moving Thru the Moonlight (Current/RCA; remixes)
- 1986 Small Victories (Current/RCA)
- 1992 Wild Zone: The Essential Parachute Club (BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
; Reissued 2006 by EMI InternationalEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
)
Other
- 1979 The Foxrun Band, You're Invited (Ariel Records)
- 1980 Bob SegariniBob SegariniBob Segarini is a recording artist, singer, songwriter, composer and radio host. During a professional music career primarily developed between 1968 and the early 1980s, Segarani was particularly popular in Canada...
, Goodbye L.A. - 1984 Gerry CottGerry CottGerry Cott was a guitarist and songwriter with the Irish new wave band, The Boomtown Rats.He started playing flamenco guitar when he was 11 years old....
(The Boomtown RatsThe Boomtown RatsThe Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
), I Left My Hat In Haiti (PolydorPolydor RecordsPolydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
) - 1985 Rough TradeRough Trade (band)Rough Trade was a Canadian new wave rock band in the 1970s and 1980s, centred on singer Carole Pope and multi-instrumentalist Kevan Staples. The band was noted for their provocative lyrics and stage antics; singer Pope often performed in bondage attire, and their 1981 hit "High School...
, Birds of A Feather: The Best of Rough Trade (True NorthTrue North RecordsTrue North Records is a Canadian independent record label. It was founded in Mississauga, Ontario in 1969 by Bernie Finkelstein. On December 17, 2007, True North was acquired by an investment group led by Linus Entertainment...
) - 1989 Paul James, Rockin' The Blues (Stony Plain RecordsStony Plain RecordsStony Plain Records is a major Canadian independent record label, which specializes in roots music genres such as country, folk and blues. The label was the recipient of a 2003 Western Canadian Music Award for "Independent Record Label/Distributor of the Year"....
) - 1993 The Whiteley Bros. Bluesology: A Journey Through the Blues (Borealis)
- 1997 A Celebration of Blues: Great Slide Guitar (St. ClairSt. Clair Entertainment GroupThe St. Clair Entertainment Group is a discount distributor of music and entertainment CDs and DVDs, with its corporate head office located in Woodland Hills, California. It was founded in 1985 as a distributor of music special products in Canada...
)