Numa Lee Davis
By Marv Goldberg
© 2025 by Marv Goldberg
I've said, on other occasions, that "this will be a short one". I lied. Compared to Numa Lee Davis, those other "short" articles read like endless doctoral dissertations. From the moment of her birth, Numa Lee needed a press agent.
Permit me to explain.
Numa Lee Davis was born in Dallas, Texas on March 19, 1925. "Numa" is, most often, a man's name (Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome some 2700 years ago), but many women share it. Her father was Earl Davis and her mother was Bernice Edwards.
There was anonymity from the very beginning. Neither Numa nor her parents appear in any census, although Earl and Bernice were together in the 1929 Dallas City Directory. The only reason I know her parents' names is because her mother filled them out on Numa's death certificate. I have no idea if she had any siblings. Her mother remarried in the 1940s, but I don't know if Numa's father had died or if there had been a divorce.
The first time we ever hear of Numa Lee Davis is when she married George Bundick on August 3, 1943, in Dallas. However, in spite of seeing a copy of the marriage certificate, there was never anyone named George Bundick in Texas.
Don't worry too much about George, however. Only a year later, on August 23, 1944, Numa married Willie Joe Blackmon, also in Dallas. Interestingly, her name was on the certificate as Numa Lee Earl Elizabeth Davis. I can't really track these people easily, but when Willie Joe registered for the draft in July 1943, he was living in Los Angeles (although born in Dallas). It's possible he came back to Dallas for the wedding and then she relocated to Los Angeles to be with him, since he'd been drafted in May 1944 and was stationed there.
While Willie Joe is never heard from again, Numa would remain in Los Angeles until 1947.
Los Angeles was a big music town, and Numa Lee Davis' recording career began. Her first stop was William McCall and Richard Nelson's Gilt-Edge Records. With Cecil Gant on piano, she waxed a cover of Wynonie Harris' "Around The Clock, Parts 1 and 2", which was released in September 1945.
Things to note: I only know the recording date for a single one of her Los Angeles sessions; only one recording of hers was ever reviewed in the trade papers (and that was nearly five years after it was first released); and, with the exception of "Around The Clock", Numa wrote every song she recorded.
Her next stop was Eddie and Leo Mesner's Philo Records. Here, she recorded two numbers with Jay McShann and his Jazz-Men: "Walking" and "When I've Been Drinking". (The October 13 Billboard said that McShann was going to record for Philo, which in music business talk meant he'd already done so.) Both songs seem to have been released (on separate records) in November 1945. (The flips both had vocals by Jimmy Witherspoon). The band consisted of Jay McShann (piano), Cleophus Curtis (tenor sax), Raymond Taylor (bass), and Albert "Cake" Wichard (drums). Was she a part of McShann's band at the time? I have no idea; there are no McShann ads that have her name. Her vocals and Witherspoon's may have been recorded at different sessions, since two additional musicians were named on his labels who weren't on hers.
"Walking" was reviewed in the December 15, 1945 Oklahoma City Black Dispatch:
Jay McShann also backs two other blues singers on another Philo. One features Jimmy Witherspoon, on CONFESSING THE BLUES, but Jay's own Decca with Walter Brown carves this to pieces. [In English: McShann's earlier Decca recording of the song, with Walter Brown on vocal, was much better.] However, Numa Lee Davis does very well on the reverse, WALKING, a solid blues in which McShann also takes a gutty piano solo.
In March 1946, the Mesner brothers re-named Philo to Aladdin Records. Both of the McShann records were re-issued on the new label, using the same record numbers as before.
Numa next recorded for Saul Bihari's Modern Music with Will Rowland's orchestra. The only known song was "Mean Old Love", released around May 1946, with a Rowland instrumental on the flip. The musicians were: Will Rowland (alto sax), Johnny Randolph (tenor sax), Al Brooks (trumpet), Frank White (piano), Martinez Raymond (drums), Charles Norris (guitar), and Eric Simms (bass).
WAIT: Thanks to John Broven, we have the full list of Modern Music titles by Numa with Will Rowland's orchestra: "Satin Blues", "I've Got An Idea", "Mean Old Love", and "I'm So Lonesome". The session took place on May 15, 1946.
We actually have a recording date for Numa's last session. On September 21, 1946, she recorded two sides for Ben Pollack's Jewel Records, accompanied by Russell Jacquet's Yellow Jackets. "Wake Up Old Maid" and "Just A Dream" were rushed out the very next week. While her name wasn't in any ads, she supposedly appeared with Jacquet (brother of Illinois Jacquet) at Lew LeRoy's Cotton Club in Los Angeles (he was there from April through July). The band consisted of: Russell Jacquet (trumpet), Gus Evans (alto sax), Paul "Vice Pres" Quinichette (tenor sax), Arthur Dennis (baritone sax), Jimmy Bunn (piano), Leo Blevins (guitar), Herman Washington (bass), and Forest "Story" Hamilton (Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton; drums).
The October 5, 1946 Billboard talked about Jewel:
HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 28 - Ben Pollack's Jewel Record Company is going into the race field and has penned Russell Jacquet's ork and blues singer Numa Lee Davis as first entries.
Label has confined itself primarily to releases by the controversial Boyd Raeburn band, altho sides by vocalists Kay Starr, Betty Bradley, and Bob Graham were initial wares offered a year ago.
Pollack's idea of distributing records via racks in drug, grocery stores and malt shops, announced in The Billboard last spring, took a nose dive when retail record stores thruout the country let it be known that co-operation from them in selling Jewel wares would be naught if he went thru with the innovation in disk distributing. [In English: if you start selling your records in those places, you won't be selling them in our record stores.]
I have no idea what happened to her father, Earl, but by 1946, Numa's mother, Bernice Edwards Davis, had married a man named Wilson Cade.
Numa got a mention in Ralph C. Weaver's column in the May 15, 1947 California Eagle:
Numa Lee Davis, one of the finest feminine vocalists in "Our Town" told me t'other night that her recording of "Wake Up Old Maid" knocks her out as much as it does thousands of other music lovers throughout the country. Miss Davis just returned to "Our Town" from a successful engagement at the Rose Room way down in Dallas.
"But wait," I hear you cry, "aren't we ever going to see Numa Lee Davis appearing anywhere?" Of course we will. Do you think I'd come this far if she didn't make appearances? An advertisement in the July 10, 1947 California Eagle had her at the Club Samba ("Skid-Row's Sophisticated Rendezvous"). However, I hope that satisfies your cravings, since it's the only ad to ever mention her. On the other hand, she must have been doing something in Los Angeles, although it might not have been in the music field.
By early 1948 (at the latest), she'd left Los Angeles and moved to Omaha. (What? Are you crazy? Omaha, Nebraska?). Yep.
While there, she also sang (at least a little). This was in the June 4, 1948 Omaha Star:
Doc Baldwin will be at the Carnation Ball Room Saturday June 5th (24th and Miami St), from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Doc Baldwin has won fame from Coast to Coast and will give dance goers a real treat. The band is featuring Numa Lee Davis, top recording star, on Decca and Philco labels having recorded with Lionel Hampton such numbers as "Hey Baba Leba", "Itti Bitti Girl", "Round The Clock", etc.
How do you even begin to make sense out of that? I don't know about you, but I never heard of the famous Doc Baldwin. The vocal on Lionel Hampton's "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" was by Hampton himself. There are two versions of "Itty Bitty Girl" that I'm aware of (and I know that's not the exact title of either): one by Grace Smith and the other by Velma Nelson. OK, I realize that Philco was a large company and much more well-known than Philo, but still.... And, now, Numa has joined the ranks of artists who were said to have recorded for Decca and (as far as is known) didn't: the Rhythm Masters, the Beale Street Boys, Rufus Beacham, Julia Lee, Bobbe Caston, Debbie Andrews, and Clarence Samuels.
That was, however, the only time that her name was associated with Doc Baldwin's.
The only time she was ever reviewed in Billboard was in their April 29, 1950 issue. For some reason, Aladdin had reissued "Walking" a second time, and it received a 71 on that date, along with this brief review: "Thrush and combo get off a neat, relaxed blues with okay McShann 88'ing." That's it.
Just to make the whole thing complete: to go along with her non-appearances in censuses, her almost-non-appearances in venues, and her almost-non-appearances in Billboard, I could only find a single photo of Numa Lee Davis (and that had nothing to do with any singing appearances - it was taken, in Omaha, for National Smile Week in early 1949).
The 1951 Omaha City Directory (published in late 1950) has Numa L. Davis as an office worker there. I guess she had to earn money somehow. Making my life even harder is a listing for "Numa L. Davis" on the Nebraska Death Index, with a date of November 23, 1950 in Douglas County (where Omaha is). Whoever that was, it wasn't her (and, of course, it's possible that the "office worker" was the one who died).
But now, it gets worse. The March 23, 1951 Omaha Star had this:
Numa Lee Davis wishes to thank her many friends for their kindness, cards, and flowers, while she was confined in the hospital. She also wishes to thank her friends for the hospitality shown her mother, Mrs. Bernice Cade while in our city.
Those wishing to contact Miss Davis, may do so by writing 3220 Pointer Road, Dallas, Texas.
There was a big article in the March 30, 1951 Omaha Star. Titled "Benefit Dance Given For Numa Lee Davis". It said:
A Benefit Dance was given Tuesday Evening [March 27] at the Carnation Ballroom, for Miss Numa Lee Davis, who underwent a major operation. Miss Davis is a former entertainer of the city. [And no, there isn't a single ad for her appearing there.] Music was furnished by the Omaha Musicians' Union and other local talent. Miss Mildred D. Brown donated the Carnation Ballroom and pop for the affair. [In case you're wondering why they only had soda pop, the Carnation must have been a real fun place. A 1948 blurb about a Gate Mouth Moore appearance there, told us: "Thugs and hoodlums who make it a practice to carry deadly weapons will not be tolerated. Systematic searches will be made of all patrons for your safety and protection."]
[And, boy, were they ecstatic about how much the Benefit Dance brought in!] Fifty-four dollars and forty two cents was raised from the dance, and wired to Numa Lee's mother, Mrs. Bernice Cade for specialists which will be required in the treatment of Numa Lee.
Mrs. Bernice Cade and daughter, Numa Lee, left Omaha at 4:10 Sunday [March 25] on the Mo. Pacific line to arrive in Dallas Texas at 8:50 Monday morning.
[The article went on to detail how much everyone gave to reach the staggering total of $54.42. Nine donors gave 50 cents (including five businesses!). Eighteen more gave a dollar. The only sizeable amount was $10.81 from "American Legion members". In addition, $21.34 was collected to give to Bernice Cade. They probably couldn't have removed a hangnail for that amount. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that she never set foot in Omaha again.]
But she must have recovered from whatever was wrong with her, because, on October 6, 1962, she married Willie Daniels in Dallas. She still called herself "Numa Lee Davis" on the marriage certificate. If she appeared anywhere between 1951 and 1962, no one bothered to mention it.
It all came to an end when she died, in Dallas, on November 1, 1965 (as Numa Lee Davis Daniels, a housewife); she was only 40. The cause of death was cerebral arteriosclerosis, from which, it said, she'd been suffering for 10 years. Strangely, her mother, Bernice, who gave the information for the death certificate, said that Numa had lived in Dallas for all those 40 years.
It's very difficult to sum up the career of Numa Lee Davis. Sometimes, it seems like she went out of her way not to leave any traces of one behind. A good singer, as well as a songwriter, I really can't fathom why it's all so obscure.
GILT-EDGE (Cecil Gant on piano)
520 Around The Clock, Part 1 / Around The Clock, Part 2 - 9/45
PHILO (with Jay McShann & His Jazz-Men)
P108 Walking / [Confessing The Blues - vocal by Jimmy Witherspoon] - 11/45
P109 When I've Been Drinking / [Hard-Working Man's Blues - vocal by Jimmy Witherspoon] - 11/45
ALADDIN (reissues)
108 same as Philo 108 - ca 3/46 (also re-released 4/50)
109 same as Philo 109 - ca 3/46
MODERN MUSIC (with Will Rowland & His Orchestra)
MM 141 Mean Old Love / [Jump Boogie Jump - Will Roland (I)] - ca 5/46
UNRELEASED MODERN MUSIC (all with Will Rowland & His Orchestra)
Satin Blues
I've Got An Idea
I'm So Lonesome
JEWEL (with Russell Jacquet's Yellow Jackets)
ON-2000 Wake Up Old Maid / Just A Dream - 9/46