GREAT MALE SINGERS: John Davidson

Here are several songs performed by the famous crooner John Davidson.

John Hamilton Davidson, Sr. (born in 1941) is an American singer, actor and game show host known for hosting That's incredible!, Time Machine, and Hollywood Squares in the 1980s, and a revival of The $100 000 Pyramid in 1991.

Davidson made his film debut in The happiest millionaire in 1967, playing opposite Lesley Ann Warren. The next year saw them co-starring again in The one and only, genuine, original, family band.

During an appearance on the game show Scrabble in 1987, he told the national TV audience that he appeared as an underwear model in the 1959 Sears catalogue; he would have been 17 at the time. Davidson made his Broadway debut in the 1964 production of Foxy, which starred Bert Lahr. He also appeared in State fair in 1996. He was a member of the regular repertory company on the short-lived CBS variety show The Entertainers (1964-65). He made more than one hundred appearances on the original Hollywood Squares during its 1966-1981 run. He was a regular player on many anthology and variety series of the 1970s-1980s, including such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bobby Goldsboro Show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, Love American style, Love boat, Fantasy island, and Spenser: for hire.

Davidson made numerous appearances on the original Hollywood Squares, from the mid-1960s until its cancelation, and was known for his long-winded bluffs. No one was more convincing at getting contestants to believe his answers to questions posed by Peter Marshall.

From 1973-1974, he starred with Sally Field in the series, The girl with something extra. In 1974, he guest starred on the TV show The streets of San Francisco in the episode Mask of death, portraying a cross-dressing lounge singer who murders his/her fans. In the episode, Davidson sings in drag impersonating such notables as Carol Channing, singing Diamonds are a girl's best friend. Also in 1974, the singer posed near-nude (with a strategically placed towel) for the magazine Cosmopolitan.

In the late 1970s, the actor became one of four regular guest hosts (along with Joey Bishop, McLean Stevenson and Joan Rivers) on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and hosted it 87 times. The performer hosted his own talk show, produced by Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W after it dropped The Mike Douglas Show. Davidson's show aired daily in syndication from 1980 to 1982. In 1985, he hosted the NBC daytime game show, Time Machine.

Davidson also appeared as a featured guest on the The Carpenters television specials Space encounters (1977) and Music! Music! Music! (1980).

Davidson has recorded twelve albums and performed in various musicals. His album CD John Hamilton Davidson is a funny guy was released late 2006 to show both his skills at comedy and singing. He acted in many movies including The happiest millionaire (1967), The one and only, genuine, original family band (1968), Coffee, tea or me (1973), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979) (with Alain Delon), Dallas cowboy cheerleaders II (1980), and Edward Scissorhands (1990), as well as the sitcom The girl with something extra (1973-74) with Sally Field.

Davidson has appeared in recent productions of A funny thing happened on the way to the forum, Kismet, State fair, Man of La Mancha, Chicago, and "Will Rogers" Follies, at the Surflight Theatre in Long Beach Island, NJ.

In late 2011 Davidson was listed as a guest star with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California.

In June 2012, Davidson took on the role of Henry in the current off-Broadway revival of The fantasticks.

In April 2013, Davidson took on the role of the wizard in the first North American tour of Wicked.

Enjoy John Davidson’s charm!