Page 27 - Classically Carolina 2019

MUSIC

Davis’ rock ’n’ roll career started in 1965 while he and church socials in Camden. He still smiles when
was in high school, playing with Danny Stewart, Joe telling the story of when he and The Electric Train
Carter and Mike Hayes in the Electric Train, a band were paid an extra $1 each after playing at a church
that won the Battle of the Bands in Camden before dance in Florence when the daughter of one of the
finishing third in the state Battle of the Bands. “That organizers told her mother to sweeten the pot. “She
was such an eye-opener for all of us, but for me, to said, ‘Momma, these guys are good.’ We made $3
be up there at the Greenville Municipal Auditorium apiece that night. I’ll never forget that,” he says.
and seeing all those bands … man,” Davis says.
These days, gigs with the Midnight Choir take up
From there, Davis played in Friends, along with a full day starting with arriving at the site, a mid-
Kenny Cutler, Toby Shreiber and Hayes in 1972. afternoon sound check, grabbing something to eat
The group came out with
five records. “These things
were part of your learning
process,” Davis says. “It was
the first time in a studio and
getting our own material
cut.”

From there, Davis played
with Left Triangle, a band
fronted by Maxie Rush,
before setting out on his
own playing and writing
music. He also spent time
with several country
and western bands. For
Camden music-lovers, the
mid-to-late ’70s Thomas
Flyer Band is still revered.
The lineup, which still
plays together on occasion,
included Davis, bass player
Danny Massalon, guitarist Leo Price, drummer and returning to the stage later that evening. “It’s a
Larry Kelly and, then, Buddy Harre. long day,” he says of the grind. “But I’m real proud
of my son; he’s really good.”
Before long, Davis’ son Patrick, a Nashville singer/
songwriter, would join the Thomas Flyer Band Maybe the most fun part of playing as part of his
onstage. Now, the roles are reversed as the elder son’s group is the family aspect. Davis shakes his
Davis joined his son’s band in 2004 as the Midnight head when talking about what it’s like playing
Choir -- which includes Davis’ youngest daughter, shows with Patrick and Megan. “People ask me
Megan, on backing and lead vocals -- toured how it is playing with my son. I remember we were
throughout the country. playing a show in Columbia and Megan was on one
side of me and Patrick was on the other side. It just
Patrick Davis and Midnight Choir have shared the hit me that I was playing in between my two kids.
stage and opened for the likes of Darius Rucker and
Vince Gill. On a tour of California, Toby Keith opened “It’s still fun,” he says of his more than six decades
for the Midnight Choir. These are heady times, too, in the music business. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s
for Rusty Davis, who as a teenager played parties fun.”

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