Interview / Riveting Riffs Magazine 

If we told you that Madeleine Davis has lived a life full of adventure some might easily argue that is an understatement. She grew up the daughter of a Gospel singing mother, and a pharmacist father in Columbus, Georgia, near the Chattahoochee River, with one sibling, a brother at home and a sister eighteen years older, who had pretty much left home by the time Madeleine appeared on the scene.

Madeleine Davis had a lengthy career with Boney M (By the Rivers of Babylon, Rasputin) and a small sample of her work in the studio and / or live performances includes artists such as Precious Wilson, Hoyt Axton, Peggy March, Terence Trent D'Arby, Rick Astley, Klaus Doldinger, La Bionda and Amanda Lear. She was in demand by producers such as, Ralph Siegel, Tony Monn, Michael Kunze, Sylvester Levay, Giorgio Moroder and Frank Farian.

She sang in church as a young child, acted on stage as a teenager (there is a motorcycle story we will get to in a minute) and she was a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra while still in university.  

“My father was a lot older than my mother. He was fifty-nine when I was born and he was seventy-five when I was eighteen......

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La Mama commenced work in 1981 on their first album, produced by Dietmar Kawohl and Mats Björklund. The Double A-side single "Elephant Funk" / "In and Out" was released in February 1982 ("In and Out" being the A-side on the 12" single) followed by a cover version of "Chanson D'Amour" a few months later. 

The single was released in December 1982, a cover of Labelle's "Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi (Lady Marmelade)". The group's LP Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec La Mama was released in January 1983.

During this time Madeleine Davis contributed lyrics for Precious Wilson's single "I Don't Know", the group also did backing vocals on Boney M.'s "Going Back West". 

Frank Farian had Madeleine Davis and Patricia Shockley of La Mama together with Judy Cheeks record a medley of contemporary hits for an Aerobics album Aerobic Fitness Dancing with instructions by Sydne Rome - the album topped the German charts early 1983.

During 1983, La Mama contributed again uncredited backing vocals to Boney M.'s seventh album Ten Thousand Lightyears on the tracks "I Feel Good", "Barbarella Fortuneteller" and "The Alibama". By the end of the year, Precious Wilson's final album for Hansa, Funky Fingers - a medley-album of popular R&B, soul and disco classics - was released. The first edition of the album credited just Precious Wilson while the second edition credited Precious Wilson & La Mama.

During 1984, La Mama backed Boney M. on the single "Happy Song" and participated as a part of Frank Farian Corporation on the benefit single "Mother and Child Reunion" early 1985. At this time ex-Silver Convention member Rhonda Heath stepped in for session work on Boney M.'s final album Eye Dance on which Madeleine Davis and Patricia Shockley of La Mama also took part. They sang the choruses on the tracks "Todos Buenos" and "Give it Up".

". Before the group finally split, Patricia Shockley and Rhonda Heath furthermore sang additional backing vocals on Far Corporation's hit single, a cover version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". 

In 1989, Madeleine Davis received a phone call by Boney M. member Maizie Williams who invited her to take the place of original lead singer Liz Mitchell who had just left the group. Davis appeared in the group's official video of "The Summer Mega Mix", toured extensively with the group and also sang on their 1989 single "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker".

La Mama a German pop and disco trio who has been active in the first half of the 1980s. Their name had been adapted from New York theater La Mama Experimental Theater Club.

La Mama released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other artists e.g., Boney M.

Original members of La Mama where Madeleine Davis , Patricia Shockley and Kathy Bartney, all girls where from the USA and settled in Germany in the late 1970s.  

Frank Farian, Boney M founder, was impressed with the harmonies produced by Madeleine Davies Patricia Shockley and Kathy Bartney used La Mama to demo new songs for Boney M. - including doing one Boney M. recording, " Gadda-Da-Vida " with La Mama and himself doing all the vocals. Also several tracks on Boney M.'s 1981 album Boonoonoonoos (" Silly Confusion " in particular, " Don't Kill the World " and "Malaika") featured La Mama's unaccredited backing vocals. 

The song "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" tributes Josephine Baker. Marcia Barrett provided the backing vocal and a spoken part by Bobby Farrell. 

Marcia Barretts biography (now withdrawn), states the producers wanted to record Maizie Williams (who had never sung on Boney M.'s records) but try-outs proved unsuccessful.

Madeleine Davis   was present at the recording together with Maize, Marcia and Bobby and contributed the chorus answer-back lines "Lose your self-control, feel it in your soul" etc.

Madeleine Davis was born and grew up in Colombus, Georgia. Her career began by performing in children’s theatre at the famous Springer Opera House, Sophisticated Ladies, and other Springer Productions.

Gypsy, The Harvey Milk Show, Babes in Arms, The Sound of Music are just a fraction of the Film, Television, and Theatre Presentations she starred in.

Madeleine is a trained classical singer and became a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus where the late Robert Shaw was director.

As she became more successful, she also became more popular and in the late 1970’s was given the opportunity to move to Munich in Germany. It did not take long before she became an extremely sought-after background vocalist in Europe working with successful producers such as Frank Farian, Ralph Siegel, Giorgio Moroder, and many the like.

Madeleine’s tours began with Peggy March, Penny McLean, Engelbert, Precious Wilson, James Harvest, just to name a few, where she was part of the background vocals.

Along with Patricia Shockley, Kathy Bartney and Rhonda Heath, Madeleine Davis formed the group “La Mama”. Their best-known singles were “Elephant Funk”, In and out”, “Voulet-Vous”, “Give it up”, once again, just to name a few.

Madeleine was contacted by Boney M members, Maizie Williams, Marcia Barrett, and Bobby Farrell in 1989, inviting her to take the place of singer Liz Mitchell who was the lead vocalist of Boney M at the time.

More than 30 years later she is still a bundle of energy, touring the world, and when she is not on tour she offers piano and singing lessons.

Did you know that Madeleine Davis is also a wonderful Blues and Jazz singer/entertainer?