Davis receives standing ovation at country music’s Mother Church

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Nashville, Tenn. was buzzing with Ward Davis fans this weekend for his headliner debut at The Ryman Auditorium.

Davis, a Drew County native, moved to Nashville around 22 years ago to fulfill his dreams of being a country music songwriter and musician.

His show as the headlining act at The Ryman is a career milestone and a testament to how far he has come as an artist.

Like many artists, Davis began his musical career at school and regional events.

“I played at the Ashdown Jamboree when I was 15 years old,” Davis said. “I am so happy that tonight, I get to bring my old friend Gene Simmons on stage with me. He plays the steel guitar and was there in Ashdown.”

Davis was accompanied by a full band on the Ryman stage while he took turns playing electric guitar, acoustic guitar and keys, all while showing his vocal talent.

“Getting a gig at The Ryman is difficult,” Davis added. “There is a certain expectation with this place and I couldn’t be happier to be here.”

The Ryman Auditorium seats approximately 2,300 people and by the time Davis took the stage, there were barely any open seats.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Davis was extremely humble when he spoke about the historical significance of The Ryman and what the night meant to him personally.

“My dad is coming tonight,” Davis noted. “His health is not good and the trip here alone was tough for him. Nothing could mean more to me than my parents seeing me perform at The Ryman. They hauled me everywhere as a kid. My dad built an extra room on our house so I could practice. I want to show them that all that time wasn’t wasted.”

Prior to the show, Davis walked around backstage not taking a moment for granted. He and his team unloaded his gear in the dressing room that Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl used to prepare for their scenes on “The Grand Old Opry.”

“This is a dream realized,” Davis added. “In so many ways, it is just a show, just another gig but this is The Ryman. Country music exists because of this building. It means something.”

At 7 p.m., the doors opened and the building was flooded with fans. The line to purchase merchandise was wrapped around the top floor stair case for a majority of the night.

Josh Meloy and Charles Wesley Godwin played opening sets and both artists received major applause from the crowd. At the end of Godwin’s set, the West Virginia native closed with “Take me Home, Country Roads. Davis made an appearance on stage to join him in singing the classic hit which prompted the first of many crowd sing alongs.

Davis then took the stage and filled with emotion told the crowd, “We made it here!”

His set opened with a Ray Scott original song titled, “Papa and Mama.”

The entire auditorium was on their feet, clapping and singing as Davis showed his immense performance skills.

He went on to perform many original writings as well as classic country covers like “Help me Make it Through the Night” and “Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way”.

“I take this very seriously,” Davis stated. “I have played here before. In 2017, I opened two shows for Cody Jinks. I asked him if I could open for him and it was almost like a favor. I take ownership of tonight. It happened like it was supposed to, I worked for it.”

Less than a block from The Ryman is Nashville’s most popular party destination, Broadway Street.

Lined with bars, restaurants, boot stores and souvenir shops, Broadway is alive with throngs of people 365 days a year. It is a completely different atmosphere than what lies inside the red brick building that is The Mother Church.

“I don’t know how to do it any other way,” Davis said. “Today’s country radio is what it is. Music should have integrity. Hemingway wrote stories, I want to write songs that tell stories. I want to leave something for my kids.”

Over the next year, we can expect new singles to be released and more tour dates across the country.

“I have recorded a lot of music and I plan to start writing more with the piano,” Davis said.

When asked about his fans from Drew County making the trip to Nashville, Davis smiled genuinely.

“Monticello has a treasure trove of people who have helped me over the years. The best people I have ever known are from Drew County, Arkansas.”