Famous photo of the REV. GARY DAVIS playing a 12 string guitar, and little girl

Famous photo of the REV. GARY DAVIS playing a 12 string guitar, and little girl (who is Meegan Ochs, daughter of Phil Ochs, the photo is by Alice Skinner Ochs, Meegan's mother), dancing. The Reverend was an iconic guitar master with a totally singular style that incorporated blues, ragtime, marches and his own stunning gospel compositions. He was born in South Carolina and in his later years lived in Harlem in New York City. His is a remarkable story. He made his living mostly as a street singer and storefront preacher. His first handful of recordings, in 1935, were on a National, with astounding blazing guitar playing and rough singing as Blind Gary. By the 1950s and '60s he also became known as a teacher, and he influenced as well as taught directly, dozens of seminal guitarists such as Stefan Grossman, Woody Mann, Roy Book Binder, Rory Block, Ernie Hawkins, Andy Cohen, David Bromberg, Bob Weir, Jorma Kaukonen and many, many more. He had a complex, driving, seemingly limitless ability and reinvented the guitar in a profound way. "Samson and Delilah (If I Had My Way)," "You Got to Move," "Sit Down on The Banks of The River," "Candyman," and "Cocaine Blues," are just some of the monumental pieces from his vast repertoire. An essential artist, part of my musical DNA.

WORLD'S #1 SOURCE of new Nationals, Fairbanks, Scheerhorns: www.catfishkeith.com/national-guitars/

For more about the Rev, check out the documentary HARLEM STREET SINGER, the books SAY NO TO THE DEVIL and OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
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— with Penny Cahill and 2 others.