Biography
Keith Powell and Billie Davis, both veterans of the British Invasion era, joined forces as the male-female duo Keith & Billie and cut three singles during 1965 and 1966. Each singer had already issued solo material prior to the collaboration; Powell, a blue-eyed soul journeyman, never cracked the charts, whereas the chirpy-voiced Davis scored a pair of 1963 successes, one of which was her U.K. Top Ten reading of the Exciters’ “Tell Him.” Although the partnership looked promising in concept, the resulting tracks proved only mildly engaging examples of restrained British blue-eyed soul and did nothing to advance either performer’s profile. Once the duo disbanded, Davis returned to solo work and registered a modest 1968 U.K. hit with “I Want You to Be My Baby,” while Powell withdrew from recording altogether. The six songs from those singles later surfaced on compact-disc anthologies, specifically The Keith Powell Story and Whatcha Gonna Do? Singles, Rarities and Unreleased 1963-1966.