Davis formed THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP - originally called THE RHYTHM & BLUES QUARTET - after he saw brothers Steve and Muff Winwood performing at a local pub. He asked them to join a band with him, and eventually brought in drummer Pete York to complete the lineup. Though bearing his name, Davis wasn’t the singer of the group, as might be expected. Instead, it was a teenaged Steve Winwood providing vocals on THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP’s biggest hits, such as “I’m a Man”, “Gimme Some Lovin”, and “Keep on Running”.

It was in 1963 when Davis met the Winwood brothers and formed THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP. Their cover of reggae artist Jackie Edwards’ “Keep on Running” became their first No. 1 UK hit when it was released as a single off their sophomore LP, 1966’s The Second Album. Later that year, they released Autumn ’66, which featured another Edwards cover, “Somebody Help Me”, also topping the charts.

 

The band’s success reached the United States with the rest of the British Invasion thanks to the enduring hit “Gimme Some Lovin”, released in the fall of ’66. It was the first song written by the group’s members (the Winwoods and Davis) to actually achieve success, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I’m a Man”, penned by Steve Winwood and producer Jimmy Miller, followed in early ’67, hitting No. 10 in the US.

In 2006, Davis revived THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP moniker again as a live project, performing throughout the next decade. However, there were different touring lineups for the US and European treks, and none featuring the original members.

 

Davis is survived by his three children, Lisa, Sarah and Gareth, as well as five grandchildren.