Ronnie Davis

Ronnie Davis (1950–25 January 2017) was a respected Jamaican reggae singer whose career spanned several decades and influential groups, including The Tennors, The Itals, and Ronnie Davis & Idren. Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, he began singing in local talent contests in the early 1960s before gaining wider recognition in 1969 when he joined The Tennors. Although he enjoyed success with the group, Davis consistently pursued a solo path, scoring his first major hit with “Won’t You Come Home” in 1975 and establishing himself as a distinctive voice in roots reggae. During the mid-to-late 1970s, Davis recorded extensively with top producers such as Bunny Lee, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Phil Pratt, and Lloydie Slim, releasing numerous well-known tracks including “Jah Jah Jehovah,” “It’s Raining,” and “Babylon Falling.” A key turning point came with the formation of The Itals alongside Keith Porter and Lloyd Ricketts, a trio that achieved major international success. Their 1987 album Rasta Philosophy earned a Grammy nomination, solidifying Davis’s reputation as part of one of reggae’s most celebrated vocal groups, even as he continued releasing solo projects in parallel. After leaving The Itals in 1995, Davis formed Ronnie Davis & Idren and continued performing and recording, particularly in the United States. He later reunited at different times with both The Itals and The Tennors for tours, contributing to the preservation of classic reggae harmony traditions. In 2016, he released Iyahcoustic, an album of reflective, spiritually conscious reinterpretations of his earlier work. Ronnie Davis passed away in 2017, leaving behind a legacy as a versatile singer whose contributions helped shape classic roots reggae and vocal harmony music.