Ronnie Davis (1950 – January 25, 2017) was a Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

singer who was a member of

The Tennors The Tennors were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group in the 1960s and '70s. Among the band's hits was "Ride Yu Donkey" in 1968. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film '' Broken Flowers''. History The group was for ...

, The Itals, and the group Ronnie Davis & Idren. He lately performed as a solo artist.

Biography

Born in

Savanna-la-Mar Savanna-la-Mar (commonly known as Sav-la-Mar, or simply Sav) is the chief town and capital of Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica. A coastal town, it contains an 18th-century fort constructed for colonial defence against pirates in the Caribbean. H ...

Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island. It is situated south of Hanover, southwest of Saint James, and northwest of Saint Elizabeth, in the county of Cornwall. The chief town and capital is S ...

, Davis started his singing career by entering local talent contests in the early 1960s. He formed a group called The Westmorlites, but his big break came in 1969 when he was asked to join

by the group's director Clive Murphy, to replace the recently deceased Maurice Johnson. Davis recorded a string of singles with the group during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but always yearned for a solo career, and had first chart-topping tune, "Won't You Come Home", for producer Lloyd Campbell in 1975. Davis also recorded a lot of material with

Bunny Lee Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...

(much of which was included on the misleadingly-titled ''Sing Hits From Studio 1 And More'' in 1998), who produced his 1977 solo album ''Hard Times''. Davis also worked with other producers such as

Phil Pratt Phil Pratt, born George Phillips (born 1942 in Kingston, Jamaica)Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316. is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer. Career Phil Pratt worked at Studio One for Coxsone ...

, Lloydie Slim, and

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

, and enjoyed several hits during the mid-1970s, such as "Jah Jah Jehovah", "Forget Me Now", "On and On", "Babylon Falling", "Fancy Make Up", and one of his best-known solo tracks, "It's Raining". Davis also cut a few singles under the pseudonym Romey Pickett. A single titled ''In a Dis Ya Time'' featuring the "Won't You Come Home" rhythm with vocals re-cut by Keith Porter with vocal harmonies by Davis, was initially credited to Keith and Ronnie, but recognizing the popularity of vocal trios, with the addition of a third vocalist, Lloyd Ricketts, the song was re-released, credited to The Itals, and proved to be one of the year's best-selling singles in Jamaica. Davis enjoyed major success as a member of The Itals, recording and touring the globe. Their 1987 release ''Rasta Philosophy'' was nominated for a GRAMMY Award as Best Reggae Album. While staying with The Itals, Davis pursued a parallel solo career, his next album being a split release with

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

for producer

Ossie Hibbert Oswald "Ossie" Hibbert (16 January 1951 – 1 July 2012) was a Jamaican organist, keyboard player and record producer. Biography Hibbert began to be active in Jamaican music in the mid-1970s, working as a keyboard player as part of The Professi ...

(1979), with further releases following, including 1985's ''The Incredible Ronnie Davis Sings For You And I''. Davis left The Itals in 1995, to again pursue a solo career, forming the vocal group, Ronnie Davis & Idren, featuring harmony singers Roy Smith (an old schoolfriend), Robert Doctor and fellow former-Ital Lloyd Ricketts. The group performed around the United States, and in 1997 released their first album, ''Come Straight '', to much critical acclaim. Ronnie Davis toured with The Pocket Band of Washington, DC in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 Davis again joined forces with Keith Porter and

David Isaacs David Isaacs may refer to: * David Isaacs (singer) (1946–2009), Jamaican reggae singer * David Isaacs (writer), American TV screenwriter and producer * David Isaacs (UFC Cofounder) David Isaacs is a media and technology entrepreneur and TV/liv ...

to tour as The Itals. Ronnie Davis and Keith Porter toured as The Itals after the passing of David Isaacs in 2009 and Lloyd Ricketts in 2011. In March 2012, after a near 35-year hiatus, The Tennors reunited with George Murphy aka "Clive Tennors", Ronnie Davis and a new member Henry Buckley Jr. aka

Sadiki Henry Buckley Jr. aka Sadiki previously known as Pancho Kryztal (born 17 November 1971, Kingston, Jamaica), is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter and producer. Early life He was born Henry Buckley Jr., in Rollington Town, Kingston, Jam ...

. The Tennors continue to tour without Davis and

. In 2016 Davis released the Sadiki-produced album ''Iyahcoustic'' on

Skinny Bwoy Records Skinny is another word for thin. It can also mean: People * Skinny (rapper), Saudi-American hip hop rapper * Kyle Graham (1899–1973), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Skinny Graham (outfielder) (1909–1967), American Major League Ba ...

Album discography

*''Ronnie Davis Presents Beautiful People From Jamaica'' (1976), DIP *''Hard Times'' (1977), Third World *''Gregory Isaacs Meets Ronnie Davis'' (1979), Plant *''Crucial'', Big Mac Soul Power *''The Incredible Ronnie Davis Sings For You And I'' (1985), Vista *''Sing Hits From Studio 1 And More'' (1997), Rhino *''Wheel of Life'' (2005), Upstairs Music *''Jamming In Dub'' (2006), Jamaican Recordings *''Come Straight'' (1997), Nighthawk (Ronnie Davis & Idren) *''Oh Lord, Why Lord'' *''Iyahcoustic'' (2016), Skinny Bwoy With The Itals *''The Early Recordings: 1971-1979'' (1984)

Nighthawk The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name in ...

*''Brutal Out Deh'' (1981)

*''Give Me Power!'' (1983)

*''Rasta Philosophy'' (1986)

*''Cool and Dread'' (1989)

*''Easy to Catch'' (1991) Rhythm Safari *''Modern Age'' (1998) RAS *''Mi Livity'' (2003) Ital Music *''Let Dem Talk'' (2009) Ital Music

Death

Jerome Constantine Ballin, popularly known as Ronnie Davis, suffered a major stroke on January 23, 2017, and peacefully died in the evening of Wednesday, January 25, 2017, surrounded by family members. “I am heartbroken by the news of Ronnie’s passing. We have been through so much together. Ronnie is like a little brother to me” said Clive Murphy the leader and founder of the Tennors “The world has lost a great musician who loved life, God and his family” Ronnie Davis is survived by his common-law wife Jennifer Ottey, his mother in England, his brothers and sisters, his daughters Shauna, Stacy, Simone and Jasmine, sons Ryan, Christopher, Jason, his grand-children, his extended family, and his many friends and fans.

References

External links

Official Ronnie Davis Reverbnation websiteRonnie Davis at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Ronnie 1950 births 2017 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians Island Records artists People from Westmoreland Parish