Cow Cow Davenport

Charles Edward " Cow Cow " Davenport ( born April 23 1894 in Anniston, Alabama, † December 3, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio ) was an American blues and boogie -woogie pianist. He also played Hammond organ, composed and sang.

Life and work

Cow Cow Davenport was playing at the age of twelve years of piano and wanted to be a musician .. However, his family did not approve of his career wishes and sent him to the seminary, where he was kicked out because of playing ragtime.

Davenport's musical career began in the 1920s; He played at a revue show, the Banhoof 's Traveling Carnival, a Medicine Show. First, he gained fame as an accompanist of blues singers Dora Carr and Ivy Smith; He also appeared with Tampa Red. Recordings made ​​Davenport on a variety of labels, was also a talent scout for Vocalion. Among his most famous early recordings ( after 1926 ) include " Chimes Blues ," " Slow Drag" and " State Street Jive ". In the early 1930s, he had a stroke and could not move his hands. He worked as a rinse aid when he was rediscovered by jazz pianist Art Hodes 1938. Hodes took care of his rehabilitation and supported him in the search for ways of recording.

His most famous song was the " Cow Cow Blues". 1953 was rewritten for Ray Charles ' " Mess Around ," " Cow Cow Blues" by Ahmet Ertegun; this title Charles ' first step was away from Nat Cole style sticking towards the music with which he recorded in the 50s at Atlantic and became famous. Davenport was also the composer of " Mama Do not Allow It." He claimed to have the Louis Armstrong hit " I'll Be Glad When You're Dead ( You Rascal You) " written, but to have sold the rights to it. In reality, the song by Sam Theard came.

Cow Cow Davenport died in 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio and was accepted after his death into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

The 1940 hit song " Cow Cow Boogie" is probably named after him, but was not written by him.