Mr. Davis is a legendary performer who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Doo Wop Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame!

The Friends of the Southfield Public Library will sponsor a Jazz & Blues @ Your Library concert featuring the Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band on October 19 from 6-8 p.m. at the Southfield Public Library Meeting Room, 26300 Evergreen Road.

The event will include a special tribute at 6 p.m. to Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson who passed away on June 22, 2022 at the age of 100. Lt. Col. Jefferson was a Southfield resident who regularly attended the Jazz & Blues Concerts. The concert will also feature Mighty Michael Mendelson performing as a special guest with Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band with live music beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Billy Davis is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Doo Wop Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Billy was the lead guitarist for Hank Ballard and The Midnighters for 30 years. Born in Bentonia, MS in 1938, by the age of 17, Billy Davis & The Upsetters became Berry Gordy’s first in-house live band. He was the guitarist for Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Ben E. King, and many other artists including Martha and The Vandellas. Billy was the mentor and lifelong friend of Jimi Hendrix teaching him what he knew about guitar and his special sound which in later years became the signature for many other musicians.

Billy Davis is a hard-working guitarist, associated throughout the years with well-known musical contemporaries such as James Brown, David Ruffin, Chubby Checker and Berry Gordy; with fans as famous as Bruce Willis, Danny Glover and many others. Billy co-wrote music for many famous hits including “The Twist” with Hank Ballard, which was later popularized with Chubby Checker’s version. In 1988 Billy appeared in the cult film Tapeheads with John Cusack and Tim Robbins. Billy has been very active recording several albums including original songs, as well as collaborating with many other artists when called upon. He has continued to share his great insight into the music world and his golden memories of working with the greats as he is interviewed on many local and national radio stations and in national music magazines. He can be seen in the music documentary films Re-Mastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke and Paradise Boogie.

Billy continues to carry the torch in the music industry as he is a treasured music legend in his own time. His memoir, tell-all book, Billy Davis: Odyssey of a Music Legend will be available soon. He continues to mentor as he has included Mighty Michael Mendelson as special guest with his Billy Davis Rhythm Machine Band. Mighty Michael, 14 years old, plays harmonica and guitar and sings. Michael has been performing since he was 7 years old. He has won many awards and nominations including a 2018 Detroit Music Award nomination, a 2019 Detroit Black Music Award, a 2019 SPAH (Society for the Preservation & Advancement of Harmonica) Youth Scholarship in Tulsa, OK, and represented the USA in 2021. He is currently a 2022 SPAH Youth Scholar and has been awarded a 2022 Master Class Youth Scholarship by the Pinetop Perkins Foundation in Clarksdale, MS.

Advanced tickets for the show are available for just $8 and limited tickets will be available at the door for $7 general admission or $5 for Friends of the Southfield Public Library members. There will be no charge for children under 12 and tickets can be purchased online at the following link: https://events.getlocalhop.com/jazz-and.../event/JQPCYn7KoE/.

The next Jazz & Blues @ Your Library will take place on November 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. featuring Matthew Ball aka The Boogie Woogie Kid. Advanced tickets are available for $8. Limited tickets will be available at the door for $7 general admission or $5 for Friends of the Southfield Public Library members. No charge for children under 12.

About the Southfield Public Library

The Southfield Public Library is located on the Donald F. Fracassi Municipal Campus at 26300 Evergreen Road. The Library serves the communities of Southfield and Lathrup Village with a book collection of over 250,000 volumes in addition to numerous print magazines and newspapers subscriptions. The Library also offers a large collection of audio books, DVDs, videocassettes, music CDs, electronic books, and downloadable audio books in addition to over 120 public computers and wireless access throughout the building. The Southfield Public Library also hosts numerous educational and informational programs such as story times, Jazz & Blues @ Your Library, Humanities group, book discussions and more special programs. Additionally, the library features four different exhibit areas with rotating exhibits and a Small Business Start Up Center that provides resources for businesses and non-profits.

For more information, call the Southfield Public Library at (248) 796-4200 or visit www.southfieldlibrary.org.