Danny Davis, who achieved great prominence with his Grammy Award-winning musical group “Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass,” died on June 12th in Nashville. He was 83.
Later--before founding the Nashville Brass--he became a well-known record producer.
Above: pictures of Danny Davis. The black and white photo is a Polaroid picture I took today, of a video I have, made from a 1951 “Freddy Martin Show” kinescope. The picture is of Davis—at the time, still known as George Nowlan—singing the show's Hazel Bishop jingle.
Davis, who founded the Nashville Brass in the late 1960s, was born George Nowlan, in Dorchester, Mass. During the big band era, he played trumpet with the orchestras of Gene Krupa, Art Mooney, and others. In 1951, he played with Freddy Martin’s orchestra, on Martin’s NBC-TV series, and was one of the “Martin Men,” the show’s vocal group, made up of sidemen from the band. He also sang solos on the show, and appeared in the show’s commercials for Hazel Bishop lipstick, the show’s sponsor.
Later--before founding the Nashville Brass--he became a well-known record producer.
Above: pictures of Danny Davis. The black and white photo is a Polaroid picture I took today, of a video I have, made from a 1951 “Freddy Martin Show” kinescope. The picture is of Davis—at the time, still known as George Nowlan—singing the show's Hazel Bishop jingle.
To read more about Davis: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080612/TUNEIN/80612124/1005/ENTERTAINMENT
Image of "The Freddy Martin Show" used by permission of NBC Studios, Inc.
