Johnny Davis

Johnny Davis had several key roles within the music products industry, which made his Oral History interview particularly meaningful for the NAMM collection as we seek to preserve our industry’s great history.  For example, Johnny worked for the Barcus-Berry Company when both founders were still very active in the design and production of their world-class violins and other products.  Johnny built guitars during most of his career, but found that he was very much at home building violins.  Over the years he also recorded with top country and rock performers and can be heard playing steel pedal guitar on most of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s hits.  Johnny also worked with Mary Ford during the last four years of her life in the mid 1970s and was always proud of the music he made and the people he met.