Jimmie Davis, country singer and former two-term governor of Louisiana, was born 123 years ago today.
A noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the Governor of Louisiana (1944–1948 and 1960–1964), Davis was a nationally popular country music and gospel singer from the 1930s into the 1960s, occasionally recording and performing as late as the early 1990s.
Born in 1899 to a sharecropping couple, the family was so poor that young Jimmie did not have a bed in which to sleep until he was nine years old.
Davis graduated from Beech Springs High School and Soule Business College, New Orleans campus. He received his bachelor's degree in history from the Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College in Pineville and received a master's degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
Davis's 1927 master's thesis examined the intelligence levels of different races, and is titled Comparative Intelligence of Whites, Blacks and Mulattoes. He taught history (and, unofficially, yodeling) for a year at the former Dodd College for Girls in Shreveport during the late 1920s.
He was hired by the college president, Monroe Elmon Dodd, who was also the pastor of the large First Baptist Church of Shreveport and a pioneer radio preacher. Davis became a commercially successful singer of rural music before he entered politics.
His early work was in the style of early country music luminary, Jimmie Rodgers, and he was also known for recording energetic and raunchy blues tunes like, "Red Nightgown Blues.” Some of these records included slide guitar accompaniment by black bluesman, Oscar "Buddy" Woods.
During his first run for governor, opponents reprinted the lyrics of some of these songs in order to undermine Davis's campaign. In one case, anti-Davis forces played some of the records over an outdoor sound system only to give up after the crowds started dancing, ignoring the double-entendre lyrics.
Davis until the end of his life never denied or repudiated those records. He is associated with several popular songs, most notably "You Are My Sunshine,” which was designated an official state song of Louisiana in 1977. He claimed that he wrote the song while attending graduate school at LSU, but research indicates he bought it from another performer.
The practice of buying songs from their composers was a common practice during the 1930s through the 1960s as some writers in need of cash often sold tunes to others. "You Are My Sunshine" was ranked #73 on CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music in 2003. Until his death, Davis insisted that he wrote the song. In any case, it will forever be associated with him.
Davis became the popular "singing governor" who often performed during his campaign stops. While governor, he had a #1 hit single in 1945 with "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder.”
Davis recorded for Decca Records for decades and released over 40 albums. A number of his songs were used as part of motion picture soundtracks, and Davis himself appeared in half a dozen films, one with the popular entertainers Ozzie and Harriet.
Members of Davis' last band included Allen "Puddler" Harris of Lake Charles, who had also been an original pianist of Ricky Nelson.
Davis died in 2000 at age 101.