Born in Savanna La Mar on Jamaica’s coast, Ronnie Davis joined the Tennors in 1967 and quickly assumed lead vocal duties under the guidance of the group’s other singer, George “Clive” Murphy. Over the following four years he lent his voice to more than fifty sides issued on Treasure Isle, Gay Feet, Prince Buster, Dynamic, and the Tennors’ own imprint. When the group dissolved amid rocksteady’s shift toward reggae, Davis launched his solo path.
Linking the late-’60s rocksteady sound with the reggae decade that followed, he ranks among Jamaica’s foremost vocalists. After cutting upwards of one hundred tracks for Bunny Lee in the early ’70s, Davis scored his first number-one single, “Won’t You Come Home,” with producer Lloyd Campbell in 1975. A version of the same riddim featuring fresh vocals by Keith Porter and harmonies supplied by Davis first appeared under the name Keith & Ronnie; the addition of Lloyd Ricketts soon transformed the duo into the Itals. Reissued as “Inna Dis a Time,” the track became one of the year’s strongest sellers. Although steady local support remained elusive, favorable notice from New York Times critic Robert Palmer brought the Itals wider recognition. A 1983 tour alongside Roots Radics led to the group’s inclusion on Pollstar’s list of “top one hundred artists” in 1985, while the Radics’ album Rasta Philosophy earned a Grammy nomination in 1987. Davis departed the Itals in 1995 to resume solo work, assembling the harmony trio Ronnie Davis & Idren with Roy Smith, Robert Doctor, and Lloyd Ricketts. The ensemble made its U.S. concert debut in 1997 and, upon returning to Jamaica, released its first album, Come Straight.
