Charles Edward Davenport was born 23 April, 1894 in Anniston, Alabama. He began playing the piano at twelve years old, although it seems his father didn’t agree with his musical aspirations and so sent him to a theological seminary, where they expelled him for playing ragtime music. His musical career began in the 1920’s where he joined a Travelling Carnival (medicine show) and the went on to perform and record with many musicians.
Suffering a stroke in 1938, he tragically lost full movement in both of his hands (a worst nightmare to and pianist) his career came to an temporary end, until jazz pianist ‘Art Hodes’ found him washing dishes and so helped in his rehabilitation before going on to new recording contracts. He is best known of course for the song ‘Cow Cow Blues’, which was so well known that it led to his nickname ‘Cow Cow Davenport’. The song was referring to a cowcatcher on the front of a train, essentially a bull-nosed ram to deflect any obstacles on the rack. He claimed to have written the (cheerfully titled) song ‘I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead’ which was a hit for Louis Armstrong, having sold the rights and receiving no royalties or credit.
Cow Cow Davenport past-away in December 1955 in Cleveland Ohio from Atherosclerosis (a build up of plaque in the arteries), he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Bedford Heights Ohio.
| Cow Cow Davenport – Cow Cow Blues | 1976 |
| Cow Cow Davenport – Cow Cow Alabama Strut | 1979 |
| Cow Cow Davenport – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol. 1 | 1993 |
| Cow Cow Blues Alabama Mistreater Jim Crow Blues Goin’ Home Blues New Cow Cow Blues Stealin’ Blues Cow Cow Blues [Take 1] Cow Cow Blues [Take 2] State Street Jive [Take 1] State Street Jive [Take 2] Chimin’ The Blues Alabama Strut Alabama Mistreater | Dirty Ground Hog (Blues) Chimes Blues Struttin’ The Blues Givin’ It Away Slow Drag Atlanta Drag That’ll Get It I’m Gonna Tell You In Front So You Won’t Be Hurt Behind State Street Blues Back In The Alley Mootch Piddle |
| Cow Cow Davenport – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol. 2 | 1994 |
| We Gonna Rub It Texas Shout Mama Don’t Allow No Easy Riders Slum Gullion Stomp It’s Just All Right Everybody Likes That Thing He Don’t Mean Me No Harm You Got Another Thought Coming To You Now She Gives It Away Don’t You Loud Mouth Me I Ain’t No Ice Man | The Mess Is Here Railroad Blues That’ll Get It Jump Little Jitterbug Gotta Girl For Every Day Of The Week Jeep Boogie Chimin’ Away Hobson City Stomp Run Into Me “Cow Cow’s” Stomp Gin Mill Stomp |
| Cow Cow Davenport – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol. 3 | 2005 |
| Betty And Dupree Darktown Strutters Ball Peggy-Boogie Peggy-Boogie (No. 2) Boogie No. 1 (Cow Cow Boogie) Boogie No. 2 (Swanee River Boogie) Boogie No. 3 (Mama Don’t Allow) Boogie No. 4 (Improvisation/ Atlanta Rag) | Cow Cow Blues (fragment) Every Day (I Got A Gal For Every Day In The Week) Papa Cow Cow’s Boogie Peggy’s Boogie (No. 3) Peggy-“43” [sic] Love My Man Peggy (Take Me Back, Mama) What A Man Crazy About My Loving |