Gail Davies
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| Gail Davies | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Patricia Gail Dickerson |
| Also known as | Gail Davies |
| Born | June 5, 1948 |
| Origin | Broken Bow, Oklahoma  |
| Genre(s) | Country, Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1978–Present |
| Label(s) | Lifesong Records Warner Bros. Records RCA Records MCA Records Capitol Records Little Chickadee Records |
| Associated acts | Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs |
| Website | Gail Davies Official Site |
Gail Davies (b. Patricia Gail Dickerson June 5, 1948) is an American Country Music Singer. She is the daughter of Country singer Tex Dickerson.
Gail Davies established herself as a successful singer/songwriter during the 70s and 80s, scoring numerous Top 10 and Top 20 hits. She was one of Country Music's most influential female singers, becoming the first female record producer in country music. She has influenced other female singers, especially Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea, and Pam Tillis. Her son Chris Scruggs, grandson of banjo great Earl, is a former co-lead singer for roots-country band BR549.
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[edit] Early life & rise to fame
Gail Davies' real name is Patricia Gail Dickerson. She was born in Broken Bow, Oklahoma on June 5, 1948. Her father was a popular Country singer in the 1940s, performing on the show Louisiana Hayride. Although she was born in Oklahoma, she grew up in Washington state. She moved there at the age of five, after her mother re-married Darby Davies. After graduating from high school, Davies moved south to Los Angeles, and married a Jazz musician. She briefly sang Jazz, but then returned to singing Pop,Rock Music, after they divorced. Davies was soon hired as a session singer for A&M Records, working with singers like Neil Young and Hoyt Axton. Around the same time, Davies befriended legendary Folk Music singer Joni Mitchell. Joni's engineer Henry Lewy taught Gail how to produce records. She was soon invited to tour with Frank Zappa's band in Europe, but turned the offer down to work with legendary Country singer Roger Miller instead.
Davies was encouraged by her older brother, Ron Davies, to write songs. Davies was a songwriter himself, writing the song "It Ain't Easy", which has been covered by such diverse artists as David Bowie, Long John Baldry, and Three Dog Night. She also learned to play the guitar which helped her to write songs. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1976 and signed with EMI Publishing as a songwriter. One of her first compositions under EMI was the song "Bucket to the South", which became a hit song for Ava Barber, and was also recorded by Lynn Anderson and Mitzi Gaynor. However, Davies was determined to prove she was a singer herself. In 1978, she signed with Lifesong Records. Her self-titled album, released in 1978, featured three charted singles, and all three were Top 40 hits. Her single "Someone Is Looking For Someone Like You" was her highest charting single from this album, reaching #11 on the Billboard Country charts and #8 in Cashbox. The song has since been recorded in seven languages.
In 1979, Davies switched over to Warner Bros. Records, where she recorded the album The Game.
[edit] The height of her career in the late 70s & early 80s
From 1979 Gail Davies took charge of producing her own albums, beginning with The Game. It was even more successful than her previous recording. It featured a Top 10 hit called "Blue Heartache", as well as two other charting singles. The album brought a new perspective to Country Music. Her popularity soon began to increase as more of her songs became hits. In 1981, she released the album I'll Be There, which was a highly successful album. The title track became a #4 Country hit. This album spawned two other Top 10 hits, which were "It's a Lovely, Lovely World" - a duet with Emmylou Harris - and her own composition, "Grandma's Song".
The year 1982, showed that Gail Davies was not slowing down. She released a new album called Giving Herself Away. It included the single "Round the Clock Lovin'", which was written by K.T. Oslin, a future Country singer herself. The song was a #9 Country hit. This album spawned two other hits, which both peaked in the Top 20. That year, she gave birth to a son, Christopher Scruggs, who is the son of Gary Scruggs. Gary Scruggs is the oldest son of legendary bluegrass performer Earl Scruggs. Davies released another album in 1982 called What Can I Say. Although she did have some sizeable hits with "Boys Like You" and "You're a Hard Dog (To Keep Under the Porch)", it was obvious that her chart success was beginning to fade. What Can I Say became her last album for Warner Bros. She parted ways with the record company.
In 1984, Davies signed on with RCA Records. She released an album called Where Is a Woman to Go. The album was produced by Gail and James Taylor's bass player Leland Sklar. It featured the single "Breakaway", which was a Top 15 Country hit. The single "Jagged Edge of a Broken Heart," was also a Top 20 hit from this same album. In 1986, Gail formed the band Wild Choir. They released one self titled album for RCA. Although there were no hit singles from this album, the band is often cited as one of the incunabula of the "alt-country" genre. In 1989, she recorded an album for MCA Records called Pretty Words, which featured her last charted single "Waiting Here For You".
[edit] Later career & life today
Gail continued to record albums, signing with Capitol Records in 1990 and releasing The Other Side of Love and "The Best Of Gail Davies." She worked for three years as a staff producer for Capitol, working with talented young singers, like Mandy Barnett. Davies started her own record label in 1994 Little Chickadee Productions and released a self written album called Eclectic. She also recorded "Gail Davies Greatest Hits" and "The Songwriter Sessions."
Davies received an IBMA award in 2001, as well as a Grammy nomination for her duet with Ralph Stanley. Davies was also nominated for an Americana award for her production work on the Webb Pierce tribute album Caught In the Webb. It featured legendary Country singers George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Willie Nelson, The Jordanaires, Dwight Yoakam, Charley Pride, The Del McCoury Band, Crystal Gayle, Dale Watson, Allison Moorer, Guy Clark, Mandy Barnett, Robbie Fulks, Rosie Flores and Gail herself.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Gail Davies | Lifesong | |
| 1980 | The Game | 40 | Warner Bros. |
| 1981 | I'll Be There | 27 | |
| 1982 | Givin' Herself Away | ||
| 1983 | What Can I Say | 48 | |
| 1984 | Where is a Woman to Go | 57 | RCA |
| 1986 | Wild Choir (as part of the band Wild Choir) | ||
| 1989 | Pretty Words | MCA | |
| 1990 | The Other Side of Love | Capitol | |
| 1994 | Eclectic | Little Chickadee | |
| 1996 | Greatest Hits | ||
| 1998 | Love Ain't Easy |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "No Love Have I" | 26 | Gail Davies |
| "Poison Love" | 27 | ||
| 1979 | "Someone is Looking for Someone Like You" | 11 | |
| "Blue Heartache" | 7 | The Game | |
| 1980 | "Like Strangers" | 21 | |
| "Good Lovin' Man" | 21 | ||
| "I'll Be There" | 4 | I'll Be There | |
| 1981 | "It's a Lovely, Lovely World" (w/ Emmylou Harris) | 5 | |
| "Grandma's Song" | 9 | ||
| 1982 | "Round the Clock Lovin'" | 9 | Givin' Herself Away |
| "You Turn Me on (I'm a Radio)" | 17 | ||
| "Hold on" | 18 | ||
| 1983 | "Singing the Blues" | 17 | |
| "You're a Hard Dog (To Keep Under the Porch)" | 18 | What Can I Say | |
| 1984 | "Boys Like You" | 19 | |
| "It's You Alone" (w/ Ricky Skaggs) | 55 | ||
| "Jagged Edge of a Broken Heart" | 20 | Where is a Woman to Go | |
| 1985 | "Nothing Can Hurt Me Now" | 37 | |
| "Unwed Fathers" (w/ Dolly Parton) | 56 | ||
| "Breakaway" | 15 | ||
| 1986 | "Next Time" (as part of Wild Choir) | 51 | Wild Choir |
| "Heart to Heart" (as part of Wild Choir) | 40 | ||
| 1989 | "Waiting Here for You" | 51 | Pretty Words |
