Most boxing fans may remember Howard
Davis as an accomplished amateur champion, and proud
holder of the 1976 Olympics gold medal at the
Summer
Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada,
as well as the
Val Baker award for Outstanding Boxer of the Games.
The Glen Cove
native had trained with his father, a former boxer, and
his Olympic victory came just one week after his beloved
mother died of a heart attack.
In
1981, his gold medal was stolen from his Long Island home.
However, in 1995, Jake Fiesel of Commack, Long Island, NY,
returned it after finding it alongside the Long Island
Expressway, near South Oyster Bay Road, while working on a
road crew.
Several
months after his Olympic victory, Davis moved on to the pro ranks and although
he never became a world champion he held a respectable
36-6-1, 14 KOs record before officially retiring in April of 1996.
Davis
beat Thomas Hearns, (1976
National AAU Championship (132 lbs), and
Aaron Pryor, (1976 Olympic trials). On the professional
side, three of Davis' losses were to
Edwin Rosario, (June 1984),
Macho Camacho Sr., (May 1987) and Buddy McGirt, (July
1988).
I have fond memories of Howard's
"One Punch at a Time" gym in Hempstead, (Long Island), New
York, which he packed whenever the word would spread about
Davis sparring or holding a serious workout.
Much to my surprise, I have just
found out that Howard Davis didn't just do boxing, but
actually he was an accomplished musician before he did
boxing! Davis states, "Between the ages
of 12 and 15, I was a drummer in a band called the
Dynamics. We were on our way to becoming stars. We were a
very hot group at the time until we broke up in 1971. Then
my boxing career started at age 15."
Howard recently composed a tune entitled "TRY THIS NEW LOVE." He plays four musical
instruments: bass, lead guitar, drums and keyboards, and
played all the instruments in his recent composition.
The father of eleven children, who
has been working as the head trainer for the
American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida, would
like to have his fans check out the new song here.
We wish champion Howard Davis lots
of luck as he pursues a new venture, the music business.
