Gospel icon, Jo ‘Cool’ Davis dies at age 63

15th August 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

It was always obvious when Jo “Cool” Davis was the next artist to appear in the Gospel Tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Music stands, amplifiers, microphones, electric keyboards would be spread across the stage as if a large rhythm and blues act was about to perform. That’s the way vocalist Jo Cool liked to deliver his Gospel message with plenty of musicians backing him up who were in tune to his special style. Jo “Cool” Davis died Friday, August 5, at the age of 63.

Davis, a New Orleans native, enjoyed a public persona as a Gospel singer especially as one who reached out beyond the confines of a church to bring the word of God through music to some unlikely venues. He was always very proud that he was able to take Gospel music into some of this city’s most renowned clubs. It started at Tipitina’s, where for some 30 years Davis acted as the much-loved doorman stationed at the nightspot’s back entrance. One night, a group was unable to appear as scheduled and Sonny Schneidaux, who was then booking Tip’s, asked Davis if he could fill in as the opening act for the Neville Brothers. His success and gospel music’s acceptance by the crowd started the ball rolling. Davis began performing at Tipitina’s annual Christmas party and other venues began to embrace gospel as it did secular genres that were popular in New Orleans.

“Jo didn’t mind playing any place or any time,” says keyboardist Cordell Chambliss who worked with Davis and acted as his band manager for close to 30 years. “Jo just loved singing.”

“He had unusual gigs at unusual times,” echos bassist Charles Moore, who credits playing with Davis for reinforcing his gospel roots.

Davis, who began performing at Jazz Fest in the mid-1980s with Chambliss by his side, recruited an impressive array of musicians from across the musical spectrum for his shows. They included such well-known names as organist Joe Krown, keyboardist David Batiste of the Batiste Brothers, saxophonist Tom Fitzpatrick of Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s band and more. In 2014, Davis’ gig even included the great vocalists Lady BJ and Barbara Shorts.

“He always got good musicians to play with him,” says Fitzpatrick. “And he always wanted the horns to sound like the Bobby “Blue” Bland horns,” he adds, mentioning Bland, who was one of Davis idols and biggest influences.

Between his gospel singing, his high-profile gig as a doorman at Tip’s, a regular on WWL-TV’s morning show particularly during holidays like Christmas and Easter and later as the emcee and performer at the House of Blues Gospel Brunch, the affable, always smiling Jo Cool was a man about town.

“He knew everybody,” says Chambliss who was also onboard with Davis during his regular appearances at the Trinity Episcopal Church’s music series since its inception back in 1988. “He had that kind of charisma.”

“Jo was always tender and loving with the audience,” Moore remembers of the Trinity Church gigs. “He always put on a good show and the people loved him for it.”

Jo Cool was perhaps most inspired by the late great vocalist Sam Cooke who, with the Soul Stirrers, released a gospel album previous to his rise to fame in popular music. Davis enjoyed singing a medley of Cook’s tunes, often climaxing it with a fan favorite, the beautiful “Touch the Hem of His Garment.” Chambliss enjoyed doing the song, “Jesus Built a Fence Around Me,” that was also made popular by Cooke as well as a traditional selection, “What A Fellowship.” “He did that with a boogie-woogie twist to it,” says Chambliss. “Jo knew a vast number of songs. I don’t know where he got them all from but he would get them and do them the Jo Cool way. We didn’t rehearse unless we were doing a new song. He liked to do things raw – to be spontaneous.”

Jo Cool’s spirit and big smile never diminished even when he was confined to a wheelchair after losing a leg to the ravages of diabetes. “He had that inner strength that always came down to all things were possible with God on your side,” offers Moore.

Jo “Cool” Davis was a passionate Gospel singer, a doorman who really knew who should be waved in the back door of Tip’s, a pioneer of bringing Gospel music beyond the walls of the church and man who loved New Orleans, its music and musicians and adored Sam Cooke, Bobby “Blue” Bland and an audience.

“He just believed in Gospel music,” says Cordell Chambliss who, with his talent, helped Jo Cool fulfill his goal of enriching more lives with faith through music.

Funeral services were held for Jo “Cool” Davis on Saturday, August 13, 2016 at Trinity Episcopal Church.

This article originally published in the August 15, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.