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Gibson Davis to Rick Faris Band

Rick Faris has announced that teen banjo sensation Gibson Davis has joined his band on banjo.

Turning 18 years old later this month, Gibson has grown up deeply immersed in bluegrass. He is a fourth generation musician who started out on banjo when he was eight, taught by his grandfather, Danny Davis, who played with The Davis Brothers in West Virginia. That group also included his great grandfather, Elize, and his great uncle, Wes. His dad, Chris Davis, is mandolinist and vocalist with Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, and young Gibson had been able to spend time on the road with his dad throughout his teen years.

Faris says of his new banjo picker…

“Gibson is a wonderful young picker that is steeped in the bluegrass tradition, and has a keen understanding beyond his years. Gibson’s banjo playing has a Missouri-like groove that sings to my heart and my own bluegrass upbringing. I’m so excited to get out and let folks hear Gibson at work, and I can’t wait to see where this next touring season takes us!”

You might have seen Gibson playing over recent years while his dad was with The Grascals, who often brought him up to play a song or two with the band. He even filled in a full show with them when he was only 15 for a date Kristin Scott Benson couldn’t make.

He has also done shows of late with Wyatt Ellis, Don Rigsby, and Turning Ground.

Davis says he is ready and rarin’ to go.

“I’m very excited to hit the road with the Rick Faris Band! I’m thankful for the opportunity, and can’t wait to pick with some of the best musicians in the business!”

For those who may not have heard him play before, Gibson sent along this brief clip of him playing the Earl Scruggs classic, Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

Rick also shared his gratitude for the many musical friends who have helped him get his solo career on track since leaving Special Consensus for just this purpose a few years ago.

“I would not have come this far without my amazing friends Tony Watt, Laura Orshaw, Russ Carson, Beth Lawrence, Chris Luquette, Luke Munday, Michael Prewitt, Will McSeveney and Harry Clark. They played the first year out on the road with me, learning so much material and blowing my mind. I love you all and cannot thank you enough for getting this dream off the ground.

Thank you also to my Big Brother JimBob for being my first permanent member last summer, and helping me steady my foundation for the addition of great pickers like Gibson Davis.”

Congratulations to Gibson on his first professional touring gig, and to Rick Faris for scoring a future star.

You can see al their tour dates online.

15 year old Gibson Davis subs for Kristin Scott Benson with The Grascals

Kristin Scott Benson laid her dad, Fred Scott, 84, of Union, SC, to rest this past weekend. One thing that she didn’t have to worry over was the shows that she would be missing with her band, The Grascals. Band mate, Chris Davis’s 15 year old son, Gibson, stepped in to sub during her absence.

Benson has had a long standing relationship with the Davis family. “I’ve known Gibson since before he was born. Chris and I played for Larry Cordle when they were expecting, and I remember that season well. There is a little less than a year between Gibson and my and Wayne’s son, Hogan, so we had that ‘new parent’ season in common.”

She praised her stand-in. “Gibson has largely figured out everything on his own. I’ve been impressed with his ability to learn and refine everything he plays without the help of any specific person. He’s created a lot of independence for himself as a musician, which is a great skill. Every time we hear him, he has gotten noticeably better and that speaks to his ambition and work ethic.”

“He’s a great kid. We’ve always liked him. Even when he was little, he was always easy to be with. So, you don’t have to worry about those 12-15 hour overnight trips being taxing, traveling with a kid, because Gibson has always been calm and mature.”

Gibson, a 10^th grader at Cabell Midland High School in West Virginia, was eager to assist Benson in her time of need. “Dad’s been with the Grascals for a couple of years now. I know the Grascals’ catalog. They thought I’d been around them and was familiar with their material. Danny Roberts sent me about 15-20 songs.”

The teenager whipped out his banjo, practiced the tunes, and hit the road with the longtime touring band. The Grascals performed at Music on the Town, a street festival in Dandridge, TN, on Thursday. They then drove to Sullivan, IL, and played at Backyard Bluegrass on Friday. Then on Saturday, they headed west to Wagoner, OK, for the Bluegrass & Chili Fest.

Gibson confessed, “That was my first professional gig. It was 39 hours on the road in a mini-bus. I’d never ridden along on a three day stretch. We slept riding.”

“It was a real honor to fill-in for Kristin who’s won Banjo Player of the Year six times. I had big shoes to fill, and I think I’m still a few sizes too short, but it was a thrill and an honor.”

Gibson is already looking to a future in the music industry. “I hopefully anticipate a career in music. It’s what I want. I’m going to try my best to make it happen.”

Chris Davis, Gibson’s dad, praised his offspring. “He played like a pro. I couldn’t have been happier as a father and musician. Spending four days on the road in a bluegrass band is not for the faint of heart. I believe he’s going to be just fine if he chooses music as a career choice!”

Benson closed with words of love for a life well-lived and words of gratitude for support from a young friend. “There is no way I could have played the banjo without my dad’s love and support. He loved that I played. I owe him everything.“

“My dad’s final service was intimate, just for close family and friends. We celebrated with the guys closest to him; some had even grown up with him. We heard a ton of great stories and I played When You and I Were Young, Maggie for him. It’s the last song he ever asked me to play. So, Gibson filling-in for me with the Grascals allowed me to play for my dad one last time.”

Meet Gibson Davis, the next generation of bluegrass

With a name like “Gibson,” one might guess that this West Virginia teenager was a musician. Well, that would be correct! Gibson, a fourth generation musician, hammers the five string.

The rising 9^th grader explained his name. “My dad is friends with Elmer Burchett, banjo picker with Wildfire. They went camping and Dad was wondering what to name me. Elmer suggested Gibson…and it stuck.”

Gibson has quite the family lineage.

His great grandpa, Elzie Davis, was an old time fiddler who played with Red Allen, and embedded the pickin’ gene for his future generations.

“Grandpa (Danny Davis) played with Ralph Stanley and some of the greats.”

Gibson’s dad is Chris Davis, who currently performs with the Grascals, but has played with Larry Cordle, Melvin Goins, Junior Sisk, and Marty Raybon among others.

The fourteen-year-old stresses that his name wasn’t what led him to the banjo. “My name wasn’t the factor. I liked the way the banjo sounded. I thought (learning to pick) it was a good thing to do.”

Gibson gravitated toward the instrument when he was 7 or 8 years old.

“My grandpa showed me a forward roll and told me to do that 100 times. He showed me some of Earl Scruggs’ stuff. He kick started me.”

Cripple Creek was the first tune that Gibson learned to play on his grandpa’s Gibson bowtie archtop. As he progressed, he began to explore other styles and other pickers.

“I really like Terry Baucom and the original Quicksilver. I like Scott Vestal, Béla Fleck, Noam Pikelny, and Steve Dilling,” the aspiring musician stressed. “There are so many great ones. I went with Dad to bluegrass festivals and jam sessions, and folks would show me stuff; folks like Kristin Scott Benson and Jody King.”

“People gave me banjos. Marty Raybon gave me a Rual Yarbrough banjo. It’s one of my favorites. I don’t take it out to jams or plan on selling it. Currently, I am playing (you guessed it) a Gibson, an RB-250 built in the ’80s.”

The surviving three generations of Davises enjoy jamming with each other.

“We play every time we see each other,” Gibson confirmed. During the quarantine, the trio has performed several times on Facebook Live.

Chris, Gibson’s dad, is his biggest fan. “He has an old soul and doesn’t think like other kids. He approaches music the same way. He has a keen ear for melody, timing, and tone. All three are very important. He has stood side by side with some of the best in bluegrass and held his own. I couldn’t be prouder of Gibson.”

His grandpa weighed in. “I think my grandson is well ahead of his time. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bragging, but I’m very proud of him. I was a little rough on him really, but he stuck with it. It was then I knew he was going to be a good little picker.”

Gibson is appreciative of his mom, Rhonda Davis, as well. “She really encouraged me with my music!”

Also an outdoorsman, he enjoys bass fishing, and hunting (deer, squirrels, and turkeys). Like most youth, he likes to ride four-wheelers.

The Ona, WV teenager utilizes technology, learning new tunes from YouTube. However, he credits his musical talents to his grandpa.

“He has worked hard and practiced. He has bright future in music should he chose that as a life career,” his father stressed.

“Bluegrass is my style,” Gibson firmly stated. “I have three goals for my life: I want to work on banjos. I want to travel and play in a band. I want to teach and give banjo lessons.”

There is no doubt that this young man has obtainable goals with the skill and determination to achieve them. Remember the name, Gibson. You will be hearing his name, not just describing banjos and mandolins, but as a solid picker in bluegrass circles and beyond.

With rising stars like Gibson Davis, the future of bluegrass music is in good hands.