Product Code Database
Carlene Davis (born ) is a Jamaican Gospel music and reggae 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.
In 1980, she returned to Jamaica to advance her career, and performed at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1981."Carlene Davis Finds Her Reggae Roots", Miami Herald, 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 titled "Feeling Irie" on his Private Beach Party album.Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, , p. 130 In 1990, she was named Best Female Vocalist at the Caribbean Music Awards.Smith, Toussaint (2005) " Carlene Davis grows closer to God ", Jamaica Gleaner, 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, 27 June 1991
In 1996, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her Christian faith became a more important part of her life." Carlene Davis – Redeemed and healed from cancer to Christ", yardflex.com, 1 July 2007, retrieved 29 April 2011 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 ", Jamaica Gleaner, 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 ", Jamaica Gleaner, 25 June 2003, retrieved 29 April 2011 Fun in the Son," A packed Fun in the Son ", Jamaica Observer, 23 March 2010, retrieved 29 April 2011 and Live on the Waterfront.Thompson, Noel (2011) " Gospel Night at Live on the Waterfront Welcomed", Jamaica Gleaner, 27 April 2011, retrieved 29 April 2011
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 ", Jamaica Gleaner, 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.
In 2014, Davis released the album Dripping Blood, and announced that 25% of royalties would go to U.S.-based charity Samaritan's Purse to fund its work fighting Ebola in Liberia." Carlene Davis makes good on her promise", Jamaica Observer, 4 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014 The album reached number 3 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.Campbell, Howard (2015) " Davis finds glory on billboard", Jamaica Observer, 30 July 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015
Her latest album, The Assignment, released in 2018, includes a duet with Marion Hall and features contributions from Tyrone Downie, Steven "Cat" Coore, Dean Fraser, and Lloyd Parks.Campbell, Howard (2018) " Carlene Davis' latest assignment", Jamaica Observer, 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018
|
|
