HANK DAVIS - STILL ROCKIN' IN THE WOODS !
(CHAPTER 18)

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Hank Davis' musical career has continued now over 45 years, and thank God, there's no end in sight. Even during the writing process of this article, he had time to write and record new songs, release several reissue albums, write number of sleeve notes and magazine columns, plus interview many roots music legends for his upcoming reissue projects.



Hank's thus far only CD issue "Blue Highway" was released in 1995 on Relaxed Rabbit (and distributed by a local indie label DROG Records). Once again the contents mixed together both his old and new recordings, including also some previously unissued sides. Hank has maintained his studio hoppu until these days, but most of all he has recently distinguished himself as a reissue compiler, a writer of album cover texts, a background researcher and a producer for instance such European labels as Charly, Bear Family, Route 66, and Flyright Records. Especially worth mentioning are those LP- and CD-boxsets that have originated because of Hank's significant contribution: Hank Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis, Complete Sun Singles, and Sun Records' female singers (on 4-CD package titled "Memphis Belles"), to name a few. He's also participated into production of upcoming boxsets of Bob Luman and Anita Carter.


Reissue albums produced or compiled by Hank Davis

Today, Hank Davis, at 62, still works as a psychology professor at the University of Guelph, Toronto. He has also written a couple of books on that subject, including "The Inevitable Bond" published in the early 1990's. Alongside with music and psychology, his literary production includes also "Small Town Heroes" (1997), a book on minor league baseball players that was re-published in 2003 as a soft cover edition because of strong demand. In addition, Hank does a magazine column on early budget sci-fi movies, another dear hobby of him.



"I'm probably a better psychologist and teacher because I had music in my life, and I believe the psychology has influenced my music. It's a shame people feel they have to choose between two things they love. They should realize that, often, the two can complement each other."

Hank has always done music on his own conditions, and most of all he's done it just for himself. His music doesn't take care of any bounds or how many bounds it breaks. As often his music has been praised, as often it has also been criticized or even underrated. Although the artist himself seems to have almost an ironic way to look back his own singer's career, I guess he wouldn't fight back if the world would have known his musical attainments better than they do now. Nevertheless, missing the big break in music business has not really bothered Hank, and indubitably the biggest thanks belong to his excellent sense of humor and the counter-balancing success in working life. Of course Hank has sometimes been asked to grab his old Stratocaster and climb back to the stages, but at least thus far he has managed to say no to all the invitations. According to Hank, just being a teacher is already rewarding enough, and satisfies entirely his hunger for performing: "Firing up a room full of college students is almost as much fun as screaming rockabilly from the stage. One thing for sure: the pay is hell of a lot better and the gig is a lot more stable this way!"


Hank and Nessie

Holding out at the rough school of music business for six different decades is never an underestimated accomplishment. Maybe some of Hank's recordings do belong to that defamed "for collectors only" category, but be that as it may, among them are also some true classics and masterpieces that you can't live without – and if you're asking from me, you are not even allowed to. And if there are still people who wonder how anyone feels like writing for pages on end on artist this unknown, let me tell you why: simply because Hank Davis really deserves it all!