David Davis, the mandolin-playing frontman of the bluegrass group the Warrior River Boys, has died. Davis passed away on Sunday, Sept. 15 of injuries sustained in a fatal head-on collision in Blount County, Alabama that injured two others, including his wife, Cindy Davis. He was 64.
According to Alabama State Troopers, per AL.com, Davis, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was driving a Ford F-150 on U.S. 278 near Pearman Road when it collided head-on with a Mazda 3 driven Adam Schotti, 20, at around 5:50 p.m. Davis and Cindy were was taken to St. Vincent’s Blount, where the musician succumbed to his injuries. The severity of Cindy’s injuries was not immediately known. The driver of the other vehicle was also injured and airlifted to the UAB Hospital in Birmingham. It is unclear what led to the crash, which is under investigation.
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Considered “one of his generation’s continuing links to the stylings of Bill Monroe and Appalachian roots music,” per a tribute shared to his band’s Facebook page, Davis was born into a musical family. His uncle, Cleo Davis, was bluegrass music’s original Blue Grass Boy, and his father, Leddell Davis, played mandolin and sang. His maternal grandfather, J.H. Bailey, was a Baptist minister who played old-time fiddle and two-finger and clawhammer banjo. With inspiration surrounding him, Davis’ interest in music sparked early on.
Davis got his start learning a capella “parts singing” with his church congregation, according to his website. But it was after his parents took him to see Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys when he was 12 that his interest in bluegrass sparked, Davis recalling that he “went home wanting to be a musician.”
Davis soon found himself learning the mandolin in the Monroe style and working with Gary Thurmond’s Warrior River Boys, Bluegrass Today reported. In 1984, Thurmond turned the band over to Davis, and in 1989, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys signed with Rounder Records. Davis remained with the Warrior River Boys up until his death, the group most recently appearing at the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration on Sept. 12.
News of his passing sparked a wave of tributes from his bandmates, bass player Marty Hays saying that Davis “truly loved music and tradition. Those of us that really knew him loved him.” Fiddlin’ Billy Hurt called it “an honor to have gotten to play music, and travel with him. David will be greatly missed by all who knew him!”
A Celebration of Life for Davis will be held in the chapel of Moss Service Funeral Home on Sept. 21. His group has asked that donations in his memory be made to support Appalachian Music Scholarships at Share America Foundation.
