[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9994]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         IN MEMORY OF DON DAVIS

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 11, 2014

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a trailblazer in 
business, music, and philanthropy from the great City of Detroit: Mr. 
Don Davis.
  Mr. Davis--who passed away on Thursday, June 5--at the age of 75, was 
the CEO of the First Independence Bank as well as a Grammy-winning 
record producer and a celebrated musician. He brought both joy and 
prosperity to his community and to all those around him.
  Mr. Davis started his career as a session guitarist for Motown in the 
1960's and eventually rose to become owner of the legendary studio 
known as United Sound. While his musical career spanned numerous 
studios and labels, Mr. Davis's musical legacy will forever be 
associated with Motown. This musical legacy includes guitar work in 
Barrett Strong's ``Money (That's What I Want)'' and Mary Wells' ``Bye 
Bye Baby''. Since its founding, Motown has been a cultural cornerstone 
of the United States, and it has been an honor to call Mr. Davis--one 
of Motown's original musicians--a friend.
  As a Detroiter and a public servant, I have admired Mr. Davis not 
only for his music but also for his trailblazing accomplishments in 
business and philanthropy. After retiring from his career as a 
professional guitarist in 1970, he founded what would become Michigan's 
only African-American owned and operated commercial bank: the First 
Independence Bank. Over time, this institution would rise to become the 
12th largest African-American owned bank in the nation, holding nearly 
5 percent of all assets in the nation's African-American banking 
community.
  Mr. Davis never saw business as a means to advance personal 
interests. Instead, he led his business to maximize the expansion of 
economic opportunity for underserved people. He was a fervent believer 
in bringing entrepreneurial prospects and quality jobs to people in 
desperate need. A renaissance man, Mr. Davis brought the passion he 
displayed as a Motown musical artist to the fields of finance and 
economic development.
  I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of my dear friend, Mr. Don 
Davis. He will live on through his exceptional music and his 
extraordinary investments in the Detroit community.

                          ____________________