Rainy Davis
{{Short description|American singer}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Rainy Davis
| image = Rainy Davis bitd.jpg
| caption = Davis in 1989
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Denise Lorraine Davis
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|R&B|pop|hip hop}}
| years_active = 1985–present
| occupation ={{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| label = {{hlist|Supertronics|Columbia/CBS|Rainysongs Entertainment}}
| website = {{URL|http://rainysongs.com/}}
}}
Denise Lorraine "Rainy" Davis is an American singer and songwriter. Out of four Billboard charted singles, Rainy Davis is known best for her song "Sweetheart". The single was originally released on the New York–based independent label Supertronics Records. However, after the song became a hit in the clubs, then on urban radio and eventually crossing over to pop radio, Columbia Records A&R exec Joe McEwen offered Davis a production-artist deal for worldwide physical distribution, which included buying her previous contract from Supertronics. She went on to record two albums for Columbia and received numerous awards for her contributions to hit songs over the years.
In 2005, when digital music distribution was new to the majority of independent artists and label professionals, Davis, founder and president of Rainysongs, set up her online entertainment company with worldwide digital distribution. This was one of the first digital music distribution labels owned by an African-American woman. Davis was also one of the pioneers to structure the foundation for fair digital recording agreements in the U.S.{{Cite web|title = President|url = http://rainysongs.com/president|website = rainysongs.com|accessdate = December 31, 2015}}
Biography
Davis was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Prior to her fame, she sang with a local band called Jamilia, which included band members Keith Sweat and Charisse Davis. She later joined the female singing group Musique, created and produced by Patrick Adams, which garnered the club pop hits "In the Bush" and "Keep On Jumpin".
After a few weeks of rehearsals with their new band, Musique went out on the road, and Davis was a live performance member of the female trio group Musique with Becky Bell and Marisa Dejean. This was her first tour as a member of the group, which had two songs that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Disco Action Charts, and later crossed over to become a pop hit record. The tour was booked throughout North America by the Norby Walters Agency.
At the request of Amir Bayyan, (friend of the Jacksons), Davis wrote "Sweetheart" for Janet Jackson with her songwriting partner Pete Warner. When the demo was finished, all the songs for Jackson's 1986 album, Control, had been chosen. Amir Bayyan, Christine Bayyan, and Chris Lord-Alge suggested to Davis that she release the song herself and it became a major hit in the dance and club scene and on urban and pop radio.
Columbia Records signed Davis in 1987 and dubbed her "America's Sweetheart", then sent her on a national tour to support her debut album. The tour included an appearance on Don Cornelius's TV show Soul Train and a performance at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. Davis was also a presenter at the Rhythm & Blues awards at Bally's in Las Vegas.
Davis remains a creative force in the entertainment industry and is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, accomplished music publisher, producer, and recording artist. Her publishing company Rainysongs, is a member of ASCAP and holds controlling interests in the Sweetheart copyrights. Collectively with various album releases by Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri with the inclusion of "Sweetheart", album sales exceed 22 million physical records worldwide. Davis's additional production and songwriting and releases include the Cover Girls' "Spring Love" from the album Show Me; Inner Life and Jocelyn Brown's "I Want to Give You Me" from I'm Caught Up, Apollo 440's "Sweetheart" sample from the album The Descending Dudes and 275 more licenses issued by Harry Fox.
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title |
| 1987
|Sweetheart | | |
| 1988
| | | |
Album credits
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Top Internet Albums |
| 1987
| | |
| 1998
|Life in 1472: The Original Soundtrack - Jermaine Dupri{{Cite web|title = Jermaine Dupri {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jermaine-dupri-mn0000322733/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} | | |
| 1998
| | |
| 2001
| | |
| 2003
| |
| 2003
| | | | |
| 2004
| | | |
| 2011
| | | |
| 2013
| | | |
- {{Cite web|title = I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair) - Inner Life {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/im-caught-up-in-a-one-night-love-affair-mw0000709134|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} I'm Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Sweetheart - Rainy Davis {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweetheart-mw0000193486|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Sweetheart (1987) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Show Me - The Cover Girls {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/show-me-mw0000193198/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Show Me (1987) - composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Ouch - Rainy Davis {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/ouch-mw0000854214|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Ouch (1988) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = The Best of 1987-1990 - The Cover Girls {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-1987-1990-mw0000451043|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Best of 1987 - 1990 - The Cover Girls (1996) - composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Greatest Hits [Mars] - The Cover Girls {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-mars-mw0000672642|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} The Greatest Hits - The Cover Girls (1998) - composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Life in 1472 - Jermaine Dupri {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/life-in-1472-mw0000040179/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Life In 1472 - Jermaine Dupri (1998) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = #1's - Mariah Carey {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/1s-mw0000044055/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} #1's - Mariah Carey{{Cite web|title = #1's - Mariah Carey {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/1s-mw0000044055|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} (1998) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Greatest Hits - Mariah Carey {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-mw0000525508/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Greatest Hits - Mariah Carey (2001) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = The Remixes - Mariah Carey {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-remixes-mw0000319981/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} The Remixes - Mariah Carey (2003) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Dude Descending a Staircase - Apollo 440 {{!}} Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/dude-descending-a-staircase-mw0000459762/credits|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Dude Descending - Apollo 440 (2003) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Sweetheart (A Story Book Romance) - EP by Rainy Davis on iTunes|url = https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweetheart-story-book-romance/id420448997|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160307040119/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweetheart-story-book-romance/id420448997|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 7, 2016|website = iTunes|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Sweetheart (A Story Book Romance) (2011) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Citation|title = The Essential Mariah Carey|url = https://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-The-Essential-Mariah-Carey/dp/B004FS275Y|date = January 10, 2011|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} The Essential Mariah Carey (2011) - composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Sweetheart (Collectors Edition) by Rainy Davis on iTunes|url = https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweetheart-collectors-edition/id1068975511|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306100717/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweetheart-collectors-edition/id1068975511|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 6, 2016|website = iTunes|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Sweetheart (Collectors Edition) (2015) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
=Singles=
| class="wikitable"
!align="left" valign="top"|Year !align="left" valign="top"|Title !align="center" valign="top" width="40"|US R&B chart !Hot Dance Music Singles Sales !Dance Music Club Play Singles |
| align="left" valign="top"|1986
|align="left" valign="top"|"Sweetheart"{{Cite web|title = Sweetheart - Rainy Davis {{!}} Awards {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweetheart-mw0000193486/awards|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} |align="center" valign="top"| 24 |13 |42 | | |
| align="left" valign="top"|1987
|align="left" valign="top"|"Lowdown So & So" |align="center" valign="top"| 14 |39 |9 | | |
| align="left" valign="top" |1987
| align="left" valign="top" |"Still Waiting" | align="center" valign="top" | 41 | | | | |
| align="left" valign="top" |1988
| align="left" valign="top" |"Indian Giver" | align="center" valign="top" | 41 | |16 | | |
Singles credits
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Sweetheart|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Sweetheart/release/2149792|website = Discogs| year=1986 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} "Sweetheart" (1986) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Lowdown So & So|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Lowdown-So-So/master/262663|website = Discogs| year=1986 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Lowdown So & So (1986) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = The Cover Girls - Spring Love|url = http://www.discogs.com/Cover-Girls-Spring-Love/release/264250|website = Discogs| year=1987 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Spring Love - The Cover Girls (1987) - composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Still Waiting|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Still-Waiting/release/3630521|website = Discogs| year=1987 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Still Waiting (1987) - primary artist, producer
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - 4-Ever|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-4-Ever/release/164880|website = Discogs| year=1987 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} 4-Ever (1987) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Indian Giver|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Indian-Giver/release/588267|website = Discogs| year=1988 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Indian Giver (1988) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Ouch|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Ouch/release/3630523|website = Discogs| year=1988 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Ouch (1988) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Rainy Davis - Story Book Romance|url = http://www.discogs.com/Rainy-Davis-Story-Book-Romance/release/6547951|website = Discogs| year=1996 |accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Storybook Romance (1993) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = Sweetheart - Jermaine Dupri {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweetheart-mw0000415384|website = AllMusic|accessdate = December 31, 2015}} Sweetheart - Jermaine Dupri (1998) - composer, publisher
- Number 1's Sweetheart - Mariah Carey (1998) - composer, publisher
- {{Cite web|title = CC'S Mystique (Radio Version) - Single by Rainy Davis on iTunes|url = https://music.apple.com/us/album/ccs-mystique-radio-version/446741140|website = iTunes| date=July 2011 |access-date = December 31, 2015}} CC'S Mystique (2011) - primary artist, composer, producer, publisher
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Rainy}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Columbia Records artists
Category:African-American women singer-songwriters
Category:American women singer-songwriters
Category:American contemporary R&B singers
Category:American freestyle musicians