William Houston Davis
| Houston Davis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Houston Davis |
| Born |
December 15, 1914 Tahlequah, Oklahoma |
| Origin | Tahlequah, Oklahoma |
| Died | November 15, 1987 (aged 72) Jackson, Mississippi |
| Genres | Big band jazz; popular music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, music educator, drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1935–1962 |
Houston Davis (born William Houston Davis; 15 December 1914 Tahlequah, Oklahoma – 15 November 1987 Jackson, Mississippi) was an American composer, arranger, teacher of music, dance band drummer, and later in his career, a justice of the peace in Hinds County, Mississippi.
As a child, Davis was born and raised in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His father, Edward Samuel Davis (1874–1952) was a barber. Davis played snare drum in a community marching band in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His father played bass horn. Davis went on to study music at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (his photo is in the university's 1935 Yearbook). During college, Davis also led his own dance band. Northeastern's music faculty included Henri S. Minsky (1908–1980), a violinist who was director of bands.
Around 1936, Davis began playing drums with the Wally Stoefler Orchestra, and stayed with the group until about 1940. Stoefler's press releases often singled out Davis as "that famous Oklahoma drummer." At some point in his career, he then taught high school music and band.
Davis moved to Mississippi in 1942. In latter 1950s, he wrote a number of political songs, but, was mostly composer and arranger for hire, as was advertised in a brochure published around 1960:
Davis wrote campaign songs for Mississippi Governors Ross Barnett and Paul Johnson. He composed "Go, Mississippi," which, in 1962, became the official state song for Mississippi. He also composed country songs, "I'm Broke," "Girls Don't Wear Dresses Anymore," and "Crop Duster."
Houston Davis Productions, Inc., was formed in Mississippi on November 21, 1963. The registered address was in Jackson, Mississippi, and the incorporators were John Gregg, Houston Davis, and Pauline M. Davis (1917–1995), wife of Houston Davis.
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