Washita Love Child: The Rise of Indigenous Rock Star Jesse Ed Davis

"I first met Jesse Ed Davis in the late '80s. . . . [He was a] gentle yet intensely present giant who was a legend of an artist. . . . In Washita Love Child, Jesse Ed Davis is resurrected in story." —Joy Harjo, from the foreword No one played like Jesse Ed Davis. One of the most sought-after guitarists of the late 1960s and '70s, Davis appeared alongside the era's greatest stars—John Lennon and Mick Jagger, B.B. King and Bob Dylan—and contributed to dozens of major releases, including numerous top-ten albums and singles, and records by artists as distinct as Johnny Cash, Taj Mahal, and Cher. But Davis, whose name has nearly disappeared from the annals of rock and roll history, was more than just the most versatile session guitarist of the decade. A multitalented musician who paired bright flourishes with soulful melodies, Davis transformed our idea of what rock music could be and, crucially, who could make it. At a time... The spectacular untold story of the Indigenous guitarist who catapulted to fame backing Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon amidst the sweeping social transformations of the twentieth century. Jesse Ed Davis shared stages with the greatest music stars of the 1960s and 70s. His riffs and licks enlivened albums by three of four Beatles, and recordings by artists as distinct as Eric Clapton, Leonard Cohen, and Cher. But Daviswhose name has been all but lost to the annals of rock n roll historywas more than just the most versatile session guitarist of the decade. By pairing bright flourishes with soulful melodies, Davis exploded our idea of what rock music could be, and who could make it. Interweaving more than a hundred interviews with legendary peers, bandmates, and family members, Washita Love Child reimagines the Kiowa-Comanche musicians improbable career, from his childhood in Oklahoma to his first major gig backing rockabilly star Conway Twitty, and from his climactic, dramatic performance at George Harrisons 1971 Concert for Bangladesh to his tragic demise, years later, in Los Angeles.