# Ward Davis

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{{Short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Ward Davis
| image             = Ward Davis in 2024.jpg
| caption           = Ward Davis in Denver, 2024
| origin            = Monticello, Arkansas
| genre             = Country, Singer-Songwriter
| years_active      = 1998–present
| website           = https://warddavismusic.com/
}}
'''Ward Davis''' is an American singer-songwriter from [Monticello, Arkansas](/source/Monticello%2C_Arkansas). Davis has had songs recorded by [Willie Nelson](/source/Willie_Nelson), [Merle Haggard](/source/Merle_Haggard), [Trace Adkins](/source/Trace_Adkins), [Wade Hayes](/source/Wade_Hayes), [Sammy Kershaw](/source/Sammy_Kershaw), [Bucky Covington](/source/Bucky_Covington), Jimmie Van Zant, [Buddy Jewel](/source/Buddy_Jewell), [Carolina Rain](/source/Carolina_Rain), The Roys, Cody Jinks, Whitey Morgan, Paul Cauthen and others. in 2016, Davis co-wrote ''"[I’m Not The Devil](/source/I'm_Not_the_Devil)"'' with [Cody Jinks](/source/Cody_Jinks), which went to No. 4 on the Billboard US Country Charts.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Asker |first=Jim |date=August 23, 2016 |title=Dan + Shay 'Up' to No. 1 On Country Airplay; Justin Moore Bows Atop Top Country Albums |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/dan-shay-country-airplay-justin-moore-albums/ |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> His major debut 2015 album, ''15 Years in a 10 Year Town,'' featured Willie Nelson and [Jamey Johnson](/source/Jamey_Johnson).<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 9, 2015 |title=Album Review: Ward Davis '15 Years in a 10 Year Town' |url=https://thedailycountry.com/6/post/2015/10/album-review-ward-davis-15-years-in-a-10-year-town.html |website=The Daily Country}}</ref> "''Unfair Weather Friend,"'' a song Davis co-wrote with Marla Cannon-Goodman, was recorded by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard for their final album collaboration together, ''[Django and Jimmie](/source/Django_and_Jimmie)''. At Haggard's request, the song was played at Haggard's funeral in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Gayle |date=November 25, 2016 |title=Story Behind the Song: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, 'Unfair Weather Friend' |url=https://theboot.com/willie-nelson-merle-haggard-unfair-weather-friend-lyrics/ |website=The Boot}}</ref>

== Music career ==
Davis moved to Nashville in 2000 from Monticello, Arkansas, to write and perform music, but was unsatisfied with his achievements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chandler |first=Chip |date=July 13, 2016 |title=Singer-songwriter Ward Davis on being 'pretty miserable' in Nashville, working (and smoking) with Willie Nelson and playing Buckin' Wild |url=https://www.panhandlepbs.org/blogs/play-here/singer-songwriter-ward-davis-on-being-pretty-miserable-in-nashville-working-and-smoking-with-willie-nelson-and-playing-buckin-wild/ |website=Panhandle PBS}}</ref> During his time there, he joined [Ray Scott](/source/Ray_Scott_(singer))'s band. After the success of "''Unfair Weather Friend,"''  and disillusioned with how he felt Nashville had changed,<ref>{{Cite web |title=WARD DAVIS |url=https://livesessions.npr.org/artists/ward-davis |website=NPR Music NPR Music Live Sessions}}</ref> he decided to leave [Music Row](/source/Music_Row) and go out on his own, writing and performing himself.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gregurich |first=Avery |date=September 12, 2019 |title=Going after 'the crowd that loves to hate' country radio: Ward Davis plays Wildwood |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/going-after-the-crowd-that-loves-to-hate-country-radio-ward-davis-plays-wildwood/ |website=Little Village}}</ref> He befriended Cody Jinks, with whom he co-wrote ''"[I’m Not the Devil](/source/I'm_Not_the_Devil)"'', the title track of Jink's 2016 album. Since then he has written and toured regularly with Jinks, including playing [Red Rocks Amphitheater](/source/Red_Rocks_Amphitheatre) with [Clint Black](/source/Clint_Black), and appearing on ''[Conan](/source/Conan_(talk_show)).''

== Discography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Albums
!Title
!Album details
!Year released
|-
|''Nobody's Waiting''
|Self Release
|1998
|-
|''15 Years in a 10 Year Town''
|Hawkville
|2015
|-
|''Black Cats And Crows''
|Ward Davis Music, LLC
|2020
|-
|''Live From An Undisclosed Location in Hays, Kansas''
|Soundly Music
|2022
|-
|''Here I Am''
|MNRK Music Group
|2026
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Singles & EPs
!Title
!Details
!Year 
Released
|-
|"Don't Open That Door"
|Single
|2010
|-
|"Last Monday in May"
|Single
|2015
|-
|"West Point To Arlington"
|Single
|2017
|-
|"I'm Not The Devil"
|Single
|2017
|-
|''Asunder''
|EP
|2018
|-
|"Last Monday in May"
|Single
|2018
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Ward}}
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
{{Improve categories|date=January 2024}}
Category:Singers from Arkansas
Category:American male singer-songwriters
Category:People from Monticello, Arkansas

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ward Davis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Davis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Davis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.