ryan paul davis

Sharing his father's gift: Musician Ryan Paul Davis to host tribute show 

By GARY STALLARD/For The Lufkin Daily News 

Paul Davis passed on at least two extraordinary gifts to his son Ryan. 

The first was his passion for music — both the songwriting and the playing. 

“Seeing my father perform in public was just a massive influence on me,” Ryan, a fixture in the Austin music scene, says. “It was, ‘I have to do this.’ I wanted to do it in the style he did it as far as songwriting. He’s a huge influence on my playing stylistically, and even the fact that he played solo. I kind of followed that. 

“I’ve played in bands over the years, but I’ve done a lot of solo shows because of Dad.” 

The second — and perhaps most important gift — was Paul’s approval. 

When Ryan made the decision to “dive headlong” into his own music career, he already had his biggest supporter in his corner. 

“Dad was always supportive of my decision,” Ryan says. “That’s the most wonderful gift that he could have given me. 

“Obviously, for most people, parents are the biggest influence. It certainly would have changed my path tremendously if I hadn’t had Dad in my corner.” 

Ryan credits Paul for sparking the passion through example. Paul, although a gifted songwriter and musician, had never gone full-speed ahead on his own musical ambitions. A union welder for 45 years, Paul’s work kept him busy — and very often, away from home for long periods. His guitar and piano playing, along with his songwriting skills, were mostly kept secret. He played some live solo shows at small venues — including shows Ryan and his wife Stacy Steger hosted at the Fredonia Hotel — but those shows were geared more toward small audiences and less about making any kind of dream come true. 

Not until Paul married his wife Donna, Ryan says, did Paul begin focusing more on making his music for public consumption. While away from home and living in his RV during one particularly long stretch, he wrote and recorded for Donna a full CD titled “After the Wars” under the name “PD Davis.” He mixed and recorded it, and even posed with Donna on the cover — “I’m just décor on the cover,” Donna laughs — before releasing it. Paul would produce four full-length albums; one now can find his work on iTunes and YouTube, among other platforms. 

In December of 2020, Paul passed away unexpectedly. Ryan says he and his father had planned to perform together more — they’d played a precious few times together — but won’t have the opportunity now. 

“He played with me in Austin at my very first CD release show,” Ryan says. “He sat in and played guitar. It was wonderful. It was maybe 10 years after I first started playing before we played together at a public event. 

“Dad was traveling a lot before he finally retired, and he didn’t get to live long after his retirement, so we didn’t get to play together on stage as much as we wanted and planned. Just a handful of times here and there. It was one of those things we were planning on doing more of, but we just didn’t get the opportunity.” 

Now, Ryan has decided to host a tribute show for his father. Ryan sent out invitations to musicians he thought might have felt Paul’s influence in some way. Ryan was hoping for four or five artists to accompany him onstage. 

He received 25 responses. 

The “PD Davis Tribute” taking place on Saturday at the Front Porch Distillery in Nacogdoches will feature numerous musicians performing their favorite “PD Davis” tunes before a live audience. 

“I had no idea it would get this big,” Ryan admits. “I essentially contacted musicians I knew who knew my father, or at least had met him. The response was overwhelming as far as the number of musicians wanting to get involved. We’ll be rotating while playing my father’s songs. 

“It just really speaks a lot to how people in general reach out when someone experiences a tragedy or a death in the family. It’s wonderful, the kindness and the bright side of human nature.” 

Paul’s music belongs on a stage somewhere, and Saturday’s tribute is a way Ryan can ensure it will happen. And while Paul won’t be around to jam with Ryan and Donna, lyrics from Paul’s song “Take Me Home” indicate he’s going to have a front-row seat: 

“Take me back where I belong/Take me home/Let me find a road that leads to where you are/That’s where I’ve gone, that’s where I’ll be, someplace where you are … ” 

Gary Stallard's email address is garylstallard@yahoo.com. 

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