It’s with a heavy heart that we note the passing of Bakersfield born and bred soul and blues guitarist and bandleader Luther Davis. Now-Again’s Egon first met Davis through collector Mike Vegh; in order to re-release Davis’ classic Lifetime Records single, Egon started Now-Again subsidiary Soul-Cal Records, in 2002. A decade later, the Soul-Cal anthology saw release, and Davis’ story was told for the first time.
Davis was a kind, humble soul who, while intrigued by the success his tiny, local release had gotten in the decades since it was lost in Bakersfield’s expanse, never lost faith in his ability as a songwriter and a bandleader. He lead many local ensembles and played various California blues festivals until his death, on October 28th 2015. RIP big Luther. We’ll miss you.