Carlene Davis (born c.1953) is a Jamaican

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

singer active since the 1970s. Successful since the early 1980s as a reggae artist, she survived cancer in the mid-1990s, after which she dedicated her career to gospel music. She has released over ten albums.

Biography

Davis was born in Colonels Ridge, Clarendon Parish and moved to England with her parents at the age of fourteen, where she began to perform professionally a year later, playing guitar in an

all-female band An all-female band is a musical group in popular music that is exclusively composed of female musicians. This is distinct from a girl group, in which the female members are solely vocalists, though this terminology is not universally followed. While ...

before joining the pop trio Toreadores.Tuber, Keith (1983)
Reggae's Carlene Davis Sends a Message From Jamaica
, ''

Orange Coast Magazine ''Orange Coast'' is an American lifestyle magazine published for the Orange County, California region. Established in February 1974, ''Orange Coast'' is the oldest continuously published lifestyle magazine in the region. ''Orange Coast'' includ ...

'', January 1983, p. 88-90, retrieved 29 April 2011 She then moved to

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada where she lived for eight years.Campbell, Howard (2009)
Carlene Davis focuses on 'Best of Glory'
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Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 4 August 2009, retrieved 29 April 2011 Davis initially found fame as a reggae singer. She recorded her debut single in Toronto, a version of "

Leaving on a Jet Plane "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings'' as "Babe I Hate To Go". He made several copies and gave them out as presents f ...

", and had a local hit with a version of

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

's "

The Harder They Come ''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world". ...

".Pryweller, Joseph (1991) "Carlene Davis Sings Songs of Freedom, Brings Music's Message to Norfolk Sunday", '' Daily Press'', 5 July 1991, p. 13 In 1980, she returned to Jamaica to advance her career, and performed at the

Reggae Sunsplash Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, befo ...

festival in 1981."Carlene Davis Finds Her Reggae Roots", ''

Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a List of communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, city in western Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the M ...

'', 1 October 1983 Also in 1981, she finished runner-up in the Festival Song Contest with "Peace and Love". She had hits in Jamaica with "Like Old Friends Do", "It Must Be Love", "Winnie Mandela", "Stealing Love on the Side", "Dial My Number" and "Going Down to Paradise", and released a string of albums in the 1980s and first half of the 1990s, becoming one of Jamaica's more established female reggae artists.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 79-80O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998) ''Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music'', Ian Randle Publishers, , p. 181 In 1985, she recorded a duet with

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

titled "Feeling Irie" on his '' Private Beach Party'' album. In 1990, she was named Best Female Vocalist at the Caribbean Music Awards.Smith, Toussaint (2005)
Carlene Davis grows closer to God
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'', 9 January 2005, retrieved 29 April 2011 She toured as part of the Reggae Sunsplash World Peace Tour in 1991.Santella, Jim (1991) "Sunsplash Whips Crowd into Frenzy", ''

Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'', 27 June 1991 In 1996, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her Christian faith became a more important part of her life. She returned to recording gospel music, which she had first recorded in the early 1990s. She released the album ''Vessel'' in 1998, and in 2000 her single "This Island Needs Jesus" was a major hit in several Caribbean countries. She became involved in cancer charity work, with half of the proceeds from her 2003 album ''Author and Finisher'' going to the Jamaica Cancer Society.Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Society to educate through beauty salons
", ''

'', 1 October 2003, retrieved 29 April 2011 Davis has continued to perform regularly, including appearances at the Redbones Blues Revue,Batson-Savage, Tanya (2003)
Carlene Davis delivers at Redbones Revue
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'', 25 June 2003, retrieved 29 April 2011 Fun in the Son,A packed Fun in the Son
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Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 23 March 2010, retrieved 29 April 2011 and Live on the Waterfront. In 2000, Davis was named minister of music for The Family Church on the Rock in Kingston. In 2006, she gained a doctorate in pastoral counselling from the Trinity Theological Seminary in South Florida.Jebbinson, Andre (2006)
Singer, minister, now Dr Carlene Davis
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'', 8 October 2006, retrieved 29 April 2011 By the mid-2000s, Davis had her own recording studio, Judah Recording, and the Glory Music productions record label, run with her husband

Tommy Cowan Tommy Cowan CD (born Thomas Lincoln Cowan, 6 April 1946, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica) is a producer and singer, initially working in reggae but later concentrating on gospel, who has been involved in the music business since the 1960s.Brooks, Sade ...

. In 2014, Davis released the album ''Dripping Blood'', and announced that 25% of royalties would go to U.S.-based charity

Samaritan's Purse Samaritan's Purse is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need as a key part of its Christian missionary work. The organization's president is Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist ...

to fund its work fighting

Ebola Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after becom ...

in Liberia. The album reached number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums chart. Her latest album, ''The Assignment'', released in 2018, includes a duet with

Marion Hall Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two decades. Formerly known as the Queen of Dancehall, she is the first female deejay to be certified ...

and features contributions from

Tyrone Downie Tyrone Downie (20 May 1956 – 5 November 2022) was a Jamaican keyboardist and pianist best known for his involvement as a member of Bob Marley and The Wailers.Foster, Chuck (1999) ''Roots Rock Reggae'', Billboard Books, , p. 66, 116 He studi ...

, Steven "Cat" Coore,

Dean Fraser Dean Ivanhoe Fraser (sometimes appearing as Dean Frazer) (born 4 August 1957) Allmusic.com biography by Sandra Brennan/ref> is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Mu ...

, and

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

.Campbell, Howard (2018)
Carlene Davis' latest assignment
, ''

'', 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018

Discography

*''I Remember'' (19??), Pioneer International *''Ism Schism'' (1978), Sonic Sounds *''At the Right Time'' (1980), Carib Gems *''Paradise'' (1984), Orange *''Yesterday Today Forever'' (198?), Nicole Music *''Taking Control'' (1987), Nicole Music *''Reggae Songbird'' (1990), Peter Pan *''Gospel Reggae'' (1991), VP *''No Bias'' (1991), Sonic Sounds *''Carlene Davis'' (1992),

Gee Street Gee Street Records was a British hip hop record label started by Jon Baker in 1985. The label's name came from its original location, a converted warehouse on Gee Street (off Old Street) in London, EC1. Between 1980 and 1984, label head Ba ...

*''Taking Control'' (1992), VP *''Songs of Bob Marley'' (1993), Eko/VP *''Christmas Reggae Rock'' (1992), Orchard *''Jesus Is Only a Prayer Away'' (1992) *''Songs of Freedom'' (1993), Lagoon *''Echoes of Love'' (1995), VP *''Passion & Pain'' (1995), Avex *''Vessel'' (1998), Jet Star *''Redeemed'' (2000), VP *''Alive for Jesus'' (2002), Gospel Times *''Christmas Everyday'' (2002) *''Author and Finisher'' (2003), Glory/VP *''Rock Me Jesus'' (2005), VP/Universal *''True Worship'' (2009), VP/Glory *''Dripping Blood'' (2014), VP/Glory *''The Assignment'' (2018), VP ;Compilations: *''The 15 Classics'' (1991), Sonic Sounds *''Best of Glory'' (2009), VP ;Songs in other projects * ''Caribbean Gospel: Book One'', "One Day at a Time", "Give All to Jesus" (2001), VP * ''Caribbean Gospel: Book Two'', "I Saw the Light" (with

Junior Tucker Leslie Tucker, known as Junior Tucker (born 1966 in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica), is a Jamaican reggae singer, who started his career in secular music but who now sings Christian music. His hits included "Happy" and his own composition, "Don ...

), "

I Surrender All "I Surrender All" is a Christian hymn, with words written by American art teacher and musician Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855–1939), who subsequently became a music minister and evangelist. It was put to music by Winfield S. Weeden (1847–1908), ...

" (2006), VP * ''Caribbean Gospel: Book Three'', "Rivers of Babylon/I Shall Not be Moved" (2009), VP

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Carlene 1950s births Jamaican reggae singers Jamaican gospel singers Jamaican Christians Living people People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica VP Records artists