Reverend Gary Davis
April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972
He started his career as Blind Gary Davis, but in the late ’20s, he became an ordained Baptist minister and would forever be known as the Reverend Gary Davis. Davis was born in South Carolina and became blind at a young age. He learned to play the guitar as a child and developed a unique picking style using his thumb and index finger. In the mid ’20s, he moved to Durham, North Carolina where he became a fixture of the Peidmont Blues scene. After he became a minister, Davis focused more on gospel than blues music. Davis was also a popular guitar teacher, most likely due to his gentle and patient personality. Davis found his music back in vogue during the folk revival of the ’60s. He died after suffering a heart attack on his way to a show.
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