Debbie Davies

 

Debbie Davies' rise to the upper echelon of blues music started at an early age as she absorbed the music heard constantly in her Los Angeles home with her (professional) musician parents. The young Davies was particularly attracted to the bluesy sounds of her father’s Ray Charles records, and by the age of 12 realized that her affinity for an instrument was not for the piano, but for the guitar.

Davies cut her teeth playing in blues and rock ‘n roll bands in the San Francisco Bay area before returning to Los Angeles in 1984, where she landed the lead guitar spot in Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs, an all-female band led by wife of British blues pioneer, John Mayall.

In 1988 she was recruited by Albert Collins to join the Icebreakers, and for the next three years she was a featured guitarist performing behind one of the most innovative blues men of all time. During her tenure with Albert, Debbie was invited to perform on John Mayall’s 1990 album, A Sense of Place, and in 1991 she recorded with Albert Collins and the Icebreakers on the Grammy nominated self-titled release for Point Blank/Virgin Records.

In September 1993 she came out with her debut solo release Picture This, which featured a cameo by Collins on “I Wonder Why.” Since 1993, Debbie has produced nine solo recordings and two collaborative CD’s. Her 2007 release Blues Blast is highly-acclaimed and is a pressure-cooker recording that showcases her seasoned guitar and vocal capabilities. It includes guest appearances by three high-profile blues men: guitarists Tab Benoit and Coco Montoya, and harpist Charlie Musselwhite.

Debbie Davies has received eight nominations for Blues Music Awards, and in 1997 won the award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist. She is nominated yet again in this category for 2008.

A twenty-year veteran of the road, Debbie Davies is truly one of the leading lights on the contemporary blues music scene today.