Editing Chip Davis

{{Short description|American rock musician and composer}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Chip Davis
| image           =
| image_size      =
| landscape       = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| alt             =
| caption         = 
| birth_name      = Louis F. Davis Jr.
| alias           =
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1947|09|05}}
| birth_place     = [[Hamler, Ohio]], United States
| origin          =
| death_date      = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date 1st) -->
| death_place     =
| genre           = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[classical music|classical]]
| occupation      = Musician, songwriter
| instrument      = [[Piano]], [[bassoon]], [[percussion]]
| years_active    = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) -->
| current_member_of = [[Mannheim Steamroller]]
}}
'''Louis F. '''"'''Chip'''"''' Davis Jr.''' (born September 5, 1947) is the founder and leader of the music group [[Mannheim Steamroller]].<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p38281/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Chip Davis|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=26 April 2010}}</ref> Davis composed the music for several [[C. W. McCall]] albums, including the hit 1975 song "[[Convoy (song)|Convoy]]". He has also written and made other albums, such as ''Day Parts'', and has written several books.

==Early life==
Louis F. Davis was born in [[Hamler, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/about-chip/ | title=About Chip | date=24 October 2013 }}</ref> His family later moved to [[Portland, Ohio]], and, when Davis was 11, to [[Sylvania, Ohio]]. He began piano lessons at age 4 and had composed his first piece of music at age 6. He graduated from Sylvania High School and went on to graduate from the [[University of Michigan]] School of Music, specializing in [[bassoon]] and [[percussion]] and playing the University of Michigan Symphony Band. Davis's parents both attended the university, and his father played [[clarinet]] in the band.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capos |first=Claudia |date=16 November 2017 |title=From Moog to Mannheim |url=https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2017/11/16/from-moog-to-mannheim/ |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=Michigan Today}}</ref>

==Career==
After touring with the [[Norman Luboff Choir]], he took a job with [[Omaha, Nebraska]], advertising agency [[Bozell|Bozell & Jacobs, Inc.]] writing [[jingle]]s. These included spots for a local company, Metz Bakery, featuring the fictional trucker [[C. W. McCall]].<ref name="Citron on Record Sales">{{Cite news|title=Bread, Record Record Records|last=Citron|first=Peter|date=June 7, 1974|work=The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper|location=Omaha, NE, USA|page=49}}</ref> The spots were co-written with the advertising writer William Fries, who became the voice of McCall.<ref name="Citron on Record Sales" /> The spots were so popular that Davis and Fries were persuaded to begin writing non-advertising songs featuring McCall. The song "Convoy" reached number 1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] the week of January 10, 1976,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1976-01-10|title=billboard - The Hot 100|last=Note - Week of January 10, 1976|website=billboard.com|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> using [[CB slang]] during the [[CB Radio|CB]]/[[Truck-driving country|trucker]] [[fad]]. The duo released five albums between 1974 and 1979. Davis was named SESAC Country Music Writer of the Year in 1976.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://journalstar.com/entertainment/music/mannheim-steamroller-biggest-christmas-artist-ever-chip-davis-talks-before/article_b3ba273f-dd46-5961-a232-105636c009c7.html|last=Wolgamott|first=L. Kent|title=Mannheim Steamroller, biggest Christmas artist ever: Chip Davis talks before Lincoln shows |date=December 18, 2018|work=The Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper|access-date=March 7, 2019|location=Lincoln, Nebraska, USA}}</ref>

Davis founded Mannheim Steamroller with [[Jackson Berkey]] in 1974<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22chip+davis%22&pg=PA54|title=Mannheim Steamroller, 25 Years of Fresh Aire, A Billboard Tribute|last=Manna|first=Sal|date=August 21, 1999|website=Google Books|pages=M1–M16}}</ref> to showcase his interest in fusing modern popular and classical techniques. The first album, ''[[Fresh Aire]]'', was completed shortly after. It was turned down by major record labels, so Davis founded [[American Gramaphone]] to release it. American Gramaphone has been the label for all subsequent Mannheim Steamroller releases. Eight ''Fresh Aire'' albums were released, concluding with ''[[Fresh Aire 8]]'' in 2000.

Mannheim Steamroller released ''[[Mannheim Steamroller Christmas]]'' in 1984; Davis is credited with revolutionizing the "traditional" sounds of Christmas. The group's subsequent [[Christmas music]] albums have sold tens of millions of copies and become among the most popular recordings in that genre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/dt_testimonials_category/25-facts-2/|title=Mannheim Steamroller Archives: 25 Facts}}</ref> His annual Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert tour, utilizing two [[cover bands]] that tour simultaneously, has continued for over 25 years across the US. Davis was awarded his 19th gold record in 2010. The Recording Industry Association of America has also awarded Davis four multi-platinum and eight platinum records. Davis also hosts a once-a-year, 24-hour Christmas music and story radio program called ''An American Christmas''. The program is produced by [[WestStar|WestStar Multimedia]] and broadcast on December 24–25 over hundreds of radio stations.

==Discography==
As Chip Davis

* ''Sunday Morning Coffee'' (1991)
* ''Party: Music That Cooks'' (1992)
* ''Dinner'' (1992)
* ''Romance'' (1992)
* ''Impressions'' (1993)
* ''Sunday Morning Coffee II'' (1994)
* ''Party 2'' (1995)
* ''Holiday Musik'' (1996)
* ''Holiday Musik II'' (1997)
* ''Romance II'' (1997)
* ''Chip Davis Presents: Renaissance Holiday'' (1998)

As Mannheim Steamroller
* see [[Mannheim Steamroller]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p38281/biography|pure_url=yes}} Biography in allmusic.com]

{{Mannheim Steamroller}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Chip}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:American rock musicians]]
[[Category:American male composers]]
[[Category:21st-century American composers]]
[[Category:Mannheim Steamroller members]]
[[Category:People from Henry County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni]]
[[Category:People from Meigs County, Ohio]]
[[Category:People from Sylvania, Ohio]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]