T. Harry
Williams Center for Oral History Collection
INTERVIEWEE NAME: Oscar Davis 4700.0755
IDENTIFICATION: Baton Rouge
Blues Musician
INTERVIEWER: Jo Jackson
PROJECT: Baton Rouge
History
DATE(S): 4 March 1997 FOCUS DATES: 1960 -1997
ABSTRACT:
Tape # 1095
Family
background; recalls music being played in his home as a child; brother [John
Davis] teaches him how to play harmonica; begins playing drums in 1970; decides
to concentrate on harmonica; discusses musical influences; Davis plays with
wide variety of local blues musicians; discusses Raful Neal's influence on his
music; discusses Tabby Thomas' influence on his career and music; Davis does
not think Tabby Thomas treats musicians fairly; discusses CD recorded in Baton
Rouge; reflects on pleasure derived from entertaining people; differences
between playing for a black audience and a white audience; lists his favorite
Baton Rouge blues musicians; memories of Silas Hogan, “Whispering” Smith, Bo
Melvin, and Clarence Edwards; Davis' mother died when he was five years old;
lives with grandmother; stopped attending school at an early age; begins
working to help support family; marries wife, Barbara, at the age of
twenty-one; Barbara dies of heart failure in 1992; remarries twice; discusses
current wife Rena; discusses impacts of playing music on social life; dislikes
prevalent drug and alcohol abuse among many blues musicians; refrains from drug
and alcohol use while playing; recalls tour in Colorado with Larry Garner;
reveals method used to get a very distinctive sound on the harmonica; discusses
guitar players in his band, Alfred Jackson and Wil Jackson; problems with other
guitar players in the past; problems financing CD; lack of profits from CD
sales; recognizes Troy Turner and Chris Thomas as possible future blues stars
in Baton Rouge; discusses difference in styles of black and white musicians;
joins first band at the age of seventeen; discusses Ronnie Houston's drumming
style; Tabby Thomas gives Davis the nickname of “Oscar Harpo.”
# of CASSETTES: 1 TOTAL
PLAYING TIME: 1 hour
#
PAGES TRANSCRIPT/INDEX: 46/2
RESTRICTIONS: none