A native of Louisville, Kentucky, J. B. Davis sang his first operatic role there at the age of fourteen. His first professional musical appearance in musical theatre occurred when he was sixteen. In the next four years he appeared in twenty-four musicals. He studied drama at Columbia University and sang the role of Baron Regnard in Robert Wards He Who Gets Slapped at the Julliard School. After two years as the bass soloist with the Second Army Chorus he made his debut with the New York City Opera in 1961. Later that year, he appeared on Broadway in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
Starting in 1963, Mr Davis sang in thirteen tours with the famed Goldovsky Opera Theatre in such roles as Don Giovanni, Leporello, Don Basilio, Bartolo, Sparafucile, Escamillo, and Scarpia.
It was on one such tour that he met his wife, soprano, Barbara Smith-Davis. Since that time he has sung with most of Americas opera companies. Equally at home in musical theatre, he has won high praise for his Tony in The Most Happy Fella, Quixote in The Man of La Mancha and Sweeney Todd. He is often compared to the great Ezio Pinza for his portrayal of Emile deBecque in South Pacific. In his career he has performed over 3,000 times in 109 operatic, musical and oratorio roles.
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