Death Don't Have No Mercy
The Reverend Gary Davis was a towering figure in the Piedmont blues tradition who abandoned secular music for the church. In August 1960, recording at Rudy Van Gelder's studio for the Prestige label, the blind street...
The Reverend Gary Davis was a towering figure in the Piedmont blues tradition who abandoned secular music for the church. In August 1960, recording at Rudy Van Gelder's studio for the Prestige label, the blind street preacher delivered a devastating performance of "Death Don't Have No Mercy." Davis fingerpicked his large acoustic guitar with complex, ragtime-inflected precision, anchoring the arrangement while he roared the apocalyptic lyrics with a gruff, terrifying intensity. The song's grim reminder of mortality resonated deeply during the 1960s folk revival, becoming a highly covered staple for acts like the Grateful Dead and Hot Tuna.