Herschel Davis Oral History Interview

Davis, a longtime resident of Eugene, came from a background in music. His maternal family had formed a travelling troupe and when he was old enough, Davis became a part of the act. In later years, he settled down in Eugene and provided the community and surrounding areas instruction in piano. Apart from his duties as a teacher, Davis was also the organist for many civic groups, sharing his gift of music. Davis’s interview starts with an account of his paternal side of the family as the maternal, the DeMosses, were fairly well known. He later talks about his role in the DeMoss Family Bards. He was known as Baby Herschel, Leader of the Band and Drummer Boy. A large portion of the interview discusses the background and various roles other family members had in the troupe.

Later, his mother quit the group while his father continued performing. Mrs. Davis wanted stable educational prospects for her children. Davis attended the Philomath College and Academy. He additionally took piano lessons from the chairman of the Music Department, Gustav Dunkelburger, at Oregon State University. Davis’s passion for music was well suited for his musical family. Once Davis was ready to strike out on his own he had to make his own opportunities. During the Great Depression music supervisors were not being hired by universities and Davis decided to go into private teaching. Davis always found a way to be active and share his musical talent. He ended the interview by playing a song written by one of his relatives on the piano.