I was very pleased to note your nice front-page article on the passing of musician/violinist Mickey Davis and what he meant to the musical success of the annual Tableaux, but he did much more than that musically for our community. I was his sidekick as a drummer and/or banjo player on many of these occasions over the years.

Always with a smile on his face, he would say “yes” to any opportunity to help with his old-time fiddlin’ skills, which he learned from his grandfather in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. He was classically trained as well, and performed periodically with the Jackson Symphony.

Here in Natchez, he was in countless editions of “Angels on The Bluff” at the city cemetery, in roles such as a Confederate Campfire Fiddler and as a member of the Country/Western Sons of the Pioneers. When Regina Charbonneau needed a band to perform the “Martha White Flour” theme for her Great Mississippi River Road Martha White Biscuit Cook-off, Mickey was right there setting the strings on fire while performing with a makeshift Bluegrass Band to add to the festivities. He was also one of the key musicians known fictitiously as the “Bodacious Bobcats,” who became Patsy Cline’s Band for the hit musical “Always…Patsy Cline” which over the years was presented on 10 different occasions at the Natchez Little Theatre and elsewhere, thrilling local audiences.

In his role as one of the “Sons of the Pioneers,” he always loved to close the performances by singing the vocal of the 1933 classic “Goodnight Irene.” The song ends with “..goodnight, Irene, goodnight Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams.”

Goodnight, Mickey, we’ll all miss your wonderful smile and fantastic fiddling.

 

Terry Trovato

Natchez resident