Dennis Davis
| Dennis Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1949 |
| Origin | New York City |
| Died | April 6, 2016 (aged 66) |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | drums, percussion |
| Associated acts | David Bowie, Stevie Wonder |
Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, and is considered as having one of the most influential drum sounds of the second half of the 20th Century.
He was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City and studied with drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones before joining the Clark Terry Big Band in 1967. He was wounded during his tour in the Vietnam War but was able to hone his skills when he performed as part of the US Navy's Drum and Bugle Corps. He met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers. Davis was hired by David Bowie in 1974 with Alomar and bassist George Murray for Young Americans. Davis formed the rhythm section which performed on a number of Bowie's albums released in the 1970s. The snare sound used on Bowie's Low album is considered one of the most influential musical recording aspects in popular music. The innovative snare sound was the result of early pitch shifting technology coupled with Davis's sensitive touch as a performer. Davis was part of what is considered Bowie's greatest rhythm section, "the D.A.M. Trio", which also included Carlos Alomar and George Murray.
Davis subsequently became the drummer for Stevie Wonder and in the early 2000s, he played percussion on David Bowie's live tours, including Bowie's last tour, A Reality Tour, in 2003. The drummer for that band was Sterling Campbell, who was previously a student of Davis.
Davis died on April 6, 2016, from cancer.
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