Mary Davis of The SOS Band hospitalized

(September 21, 2020) 80s and 90s hitmaking group The SOS Band has posted on their Facebook page that lead singer Mary Davis was hospitalized yesterday for an undisclosed illness, and asked the band's fans for prayers for her recovery.

Formed in Atlanta, the "Sound of Success" Band at its peak consisted of singers Davis and Jason Bryant, multi-instrumentalist Abdul Ra'oof, saxmen Willie Killebrew and Billy Ellis, drummer James Earl Jones III, bassist John Simpson and guitarist Bruno Speight.

Signed to the fast-rising Tabu label in 1980, the band debuted auspiciously, hitting the top of the charts with its self-titled album as well as the Sigidi Abdullah composition "Take Your Time (Do It Right)."  But bigger success lay ahead, as the group teamed with now-legendary hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for a series of albums that yielded hit after hit, including "Just Be Good To Me," "Just the Way You Like It," "Tell Me If You Still Care," and their biggest smash, a 1986 beat-heavy masterpiece, "Finest."

The departure of Davis from the group and the loss of Jam and Lewis as producers led to a decline in the band's fortunes, and by 1991 the SOS Band was no more. However, in the mid 90s, Davis and Ra'oof joined together and reconstituted the SOS Band with a new set of musicians. The Davis-Ra'oof version of the band has performed regularly now for a quarter century, including such major shows as the Capital Jazz Cruise. They also issued the 2017 adult soul hit "Just Get Ready," which found them successfully recapturing the sound that took them to the top three decades earlier.

Here's praying for a speedy recovery for Mary Davis and many more years sharing her gift with the world.

By Chris Rizik