Rainy Davis
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Rainy Davis (real name: Denise Lorraine Davis) is a singer, songwriter, and music producer most famous for her album and single Sweetheart. The single was originally released on the tiny New York-based independent label Supertronics Records. However, after the song became popular, Columbia/CBS Records picked up the song for worldwide distribution and signed Davis to a contract.
Davis wrote "Sweetheart" with Janet Jackson in mind, hoping to submit it in time for her 1986 album Control, but she didn't make it in time. She recorded the song herself, and it became a major hit in the dance and club scene.
The song was later covered by Mariah Carey and Jermaine Dupri on Dupri's 1998 solo album Life in 1472, the follow-up single of "Money Aint a Thing," which featured Jay-Z. It then became the lead-off single on Mariah Carey's #1's, was included on Carey's Greatest Hits album, on The Remixes, and earned a Grammy nomination for best rap-sung duo. From 1998 through 2004, Davis's "Sweetheart" by Mariah and JD sold in excess of 21 million copies worldwide.
Davis has worked with acts such as Amir Bayyan, Khalis Bayyan, Benjamin Wright, Ollie Brown, Musique, Patrick Adams, Beckie Bell, Shannon, Fonda Rae, Skipworth & Turner, Charisse, Keith Sweat, Larry Peoples, Bert deCoteaux, Clarence Burke, Jerry Knight, Oren Waters, David Williams, Jerry Hey, Richard Tee, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Cornell Dupree, David Wilkes, James Gadson, Steve Ferrone, Dean Gant, Michael Boddicker, Anthony Jackson, Edmund Sylvers, Wah-Wah Watson, The Cover Girls, Angel Sabater, Wu-Tang Clan/Protect-Ya-Neck, The Rza, MMO, Padrone, and Pete Warner.
Davis is now CEO and founder of the new production company-turned-label called Rainysongs Entertainment, which formed in September 2005. Rainysongs Entertainment has secured global Internet distribution for all media and will start releasing product in 2007.
Singles
Year | Title | US R&B chart |
---|---|---|
1986 | "Sweetheart"</sup> | 24 |
1987 | "Lowdown So & So"</sup> | 14 |
1987 | "Still Waiting"</sup> | 41 |
1988 | "Indian Giver"</sup> | 41 |