Ray Davis (musician)
Encyclopedia
Raymond "Ray" Davis was the original bass
singer and one of the founding members of The Parliaments
, Parliament
, and Funkadelic
. His regular nickname while he was with those groups was "Sting Ray Davis". Aside from George Clinton
, he was the only original member of the Parliaments not to leave the Parliament/Funkadelic conglomerate in 1977. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
.
He was born in Sumter, South Carolina
, and worked with Roger Troutman and Zapp in the early to mid 1980s. His distinctive baritone can be heard on "I Can Make You Dance". He was also briefly in a later period line-up of The Temptations
, joining after the death of original bass singer Melvin Franklin
, and appearing on the 1995 album For Lovers Only
. Davis left the group after being diagnosed with throat cancer
. In later years, he performed with former Temptation Glenn Leonard
in Leonard's group, The Temptations Experience. And in 1998, along with original Parliament-Funkadelic
members Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins
, Calvin Simon
, and Grady Thomas
, he formed the Original P
.
Davis died in New Brunswick, New Jersey
on July 5, 2005, of respiratory problems.
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
singer and one of the founding members of The Parliaments
The Parliaments
The Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
, Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, and Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
. His regular nickname while he was with those groups was "Sting Ray Davis". Aside from George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, he was the only original member of the Parliaments not to leave the Parliament/Funkadelic conglomerate in 1977. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
.
He was born in Sumter, South Carolina
Sumter, South Carolina
-Demographics:, there were 59,180 people, 34,717 households, and 4,049 families living in the city. The population density was 4,469.5 people per square mile . There were 416,032 housing units at an average density of 603.0 per square mile...
, and worked with Roger Troutman and Zapp in the early to mid 1980s. His distinctive baritone can be heard on "I Can Make You Dance". He was also briefly in a later period line-up of The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, joining after the death of original bass singer Melvin Franklin
Melvin Franklin
David Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
, and appearing on the 1995 album For Lovers Only
For Lovers Only
For Lovers Only is a 1995 covers/pop standards album by The Temptations for the Motown label, something of a sequel to their 1967 album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood. The album features the final recordings of Melvin Franklin, who fell ill during recording and died before the album's release...
. Davis left the group after being diagnosed with throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
. In later years, he performed with former Temptation Glenn Leonard
Glenn Leonard
Glenn Carl Leonard is an American R&B and soul singer best remembered for serving as the first tenor/secondary lead singer of the Motown quintet The Temptations from 1975 to 1983.-Biography:...
in Leonard's group, The Temptations Experience. And in 1998, along with original Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
members Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins
Fuzzy Haskins
Clarence Eugene "Fuzzy" Haskins is a former singer with 1950s and 1960s doo-wop group, The Parliaments. He is a founding member of the groundbreaking and influential 1970s funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, also known as Parliament-Funkadelic. He left Parliament-Funkadelic in 1977 to pursue a...
, Calvin Simon
Calvin Simon
Calvin Eugene Simon is a former member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
, and Grady Thomas
Grady Thomas
Grady Thomas is a former member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
, he formed the Original P
Original P
The Original P is an American funk band formed in 1998 by four founding members of Parliament-Funkadelic, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, Ray Davis and Grady Thomas...
.
Davis died in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
on July 5, 2005, of respiratory problems.