Ohioana Citation for Music: 2008
Chip Davis
Native of Sylvania OH
Musician, composer, and founding member of Mannheim Steamroller
“Chip Davis owns Christmas,” said Sean Compton of Clear Channel Communications in a New York Times Magazine article from 2005. It’s true.
All credit goes to the Sylvania, Ohio, native whose creativity and drive changed Christmas music from simple albums of stars singing
holiday songs into a glorious musical extravaganza utilizing synthesizers, a 22-piece orchestra, music of the Renaissance, and
large portions of musical originality. Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 23 million Christmas records and is the #1 selling Christmas artist of all time.
Chip was born Louis Davis, Jr. and began his musical training at age 4, with his grandmother as his first piano teacher. He composed his first piece,
a four-part chorale about his dog Stormy at age 6. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1969 as a classically trained bassoonist. Chip worked for an Omaha,
Nebraska advertising agency and with his college Bill Reis, wrote the single “Convoy,” a hit in 1975 and part of the late 70’s popularity in CB Radios. He was Country Music Writer of the Year in 1976.
Chip created his own genre of music; what he termed “18th Century classical rock.” He called his musical group Mannheim Steamroller and
started his own label, American Gramaphone. His first album, Fresh Aire, defied categorization, and sales were minimal. But Chip was (and is) an innovator
as well as a musician, and he found ways to put his music in front of people, ways that ranged from demonstration music for sound equipment to displaying CDs in the check-out line at grocery stores.
Mannheim Steamroller
and Chip Davis Website
