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Posted by Bob Chudicek
(Robert Chudicek) on June 12, 2008, 11:22 pm
67.163.147.131
George Nowlan, better known as Danny Davis -- leader of the Nashville Brass -- died of cardiac arrest at 5:40pm June 12th at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. The innovative instrumentalist and industry executive had just celebrated his 83rd birthday on May 29th.
Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and raised in nearby Randolph, Davis became a proficient horn player early in life and was named a trumpet soloist with the Massachusetts All State Symphony Orchestra when he was only 14.
He attended the New England Conservatory of Music on a scholarship and it wasn't long before the "young man with a horn" found himself a job playing with Bobby Byrne's Orchestra on CBS network radio. Later, he also served in the brass section of such well-known bands as Gene Krupa, Bob Crosby, Les Brown, Hal McIntire, Art Mooney and Freddy Martin.
Throughout his early career, he is credited with winning the "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout Show"
three times, and holds the record for winning "Chance Of A Lifetime"
for a total of six times.
He also sang with such bands as Vincent Lopez, Blue Barron and Sammy Kaye. His work as a vocalist is probably best remembered for the huge hit he had on MGM titled "The Object Of My Affection".
For many years, Davis worked as a record producer at MGM in New York and it was during that time when he produced six #1 singles on Connie Francis, all of which came out of sessions recorded in Nashville. It was also during his tenure at MGM that he discovered an English group known as Herman's Hermits.
From MGM, Davis moved over to RCA in New York, where he was at the helm of albums for such artists as Lana Cantrell and Nina Simone. In l968 he accepted a position with RCA in Nashville, as a producer and assistant to Chet Atkins. Among acts he was assigned to were Hank Locklin, Floyd Crammer, Willie Nelson, Dottie West, Don Gibson, Waylon Jennings, and George Beverly Shea.
During his first year in Music City, Davis produced two #1 records:
"Rings Of Gold" by Don Gibson
& Dottie West, and the Grammy-winning "MacArthur Park" by Waylon Jennings.
However, he also produced something else that year, which would catapult him into phenomenal stardom when he founded Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass. The group's very first single on RCA, "I Saw The Light", instantly became a runaway hit. In l969 the Nashville Brass won a Grammy for their recording of "Kawliga" and the Country Music Association awarded them Best Instrumental Group of the Year---an honor the CMA would bestow upon them for six consecutive years.
It was also Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass who helped pave the way for the "Nashville Sound"
in Vegas with their extensive hold-over engagements at the Landmark.
They were front-runners in
combining country music with symphony orchestras in countless cities.
They were on numerous TV
shows with such greats as Red Skelton, Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Cash, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Perry Como and Dinah Shore. They entertained in Europe. They were constant favorites on the fair circuit, as well as in posh dinner clubs, for more than two decades. They performed daily for over a year at the Country Music World theater in Branson, MO. They shared the stage in Nashville with Boots Randolph for several seasons at his club in Printer's Alley, as well as on Music Valley Drive at the Stardust Theater. They even played for the inauguration of two Presidents, Nixon and Reagan.
Over the years, Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass had recorded a total of 30 albums on RCA, in addition to others on independent labels.
Davis himself was often seen playing trumpet on Hee-Haw as part of the "Million Dollar Band". And the musical kaleidoscope of his illustrious career had just recently expanded even further when the unmistakable sounds of Davis playing horn were featured on Royal Wade Kimes' self-penned song titled "Danny Play" -- currently being aired on XM satellite radio.
George Nowlan, (Danny Davis) is survived by his wife Barbara; two daughters, Kim Nowlan and Tara Nowlan; two sons, Gavin Nowlan and Kerry Nowlan; three grandsons, Kerry "Jamie" Nowlan, Jr., Elliott Nowlan and Nicholas Nowlan; one great granddaughter, MiKayla Nowlan; and one brother, John Nowlan.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.
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