In 1987, during an appearance on Scrabble he mentioned that he appeared as an underwear model in the 1959 Sears catalog, when he was seventeen.[6] He made his Broadway debut in the 1964 production of Foxy, which starred Bert Lahr.[7] He also appeared in State Fair in 1996.
Davidson made numerous appearances on the original Hollywood Squares, from the game show's premiere in 1966 to its cancellation in 1981. He was known for his long-winded bluffs which often fooled contestants with his often ridiculous answers to questions the program's host, Peter Marshall, posed. Most times, Marshall could barely conceal a grin as Davidson began some far-fetched but plausible explanations for his answers, often prefaced with some misleading statement like "I just read about it in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was a fascinating study, and it said that..." Davidson put over these preposterous stories with such sincerity that many a contestant was fooled more than once.
In 1973 and 1974, he starred with Sally Field on the situation comedy The Girl with Something Extra. In 1974 he guest-starred on the television series 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 while impersonating such notables as Carol Channing, singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". Also in 1974, the singer posed near-nude (with a discreetly placed towel) for the magazine Cosmopolitan.
In 1977, Davidson was present at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky. He was expected to appear onstage as the headline act the evening the fire broke out. Davidson helped others escape before fleeing through a back door.[10] Davidson's music director, Douglas Herro, was among the 165 victims.[11][12] Davidson was unharmed in the disaster and later participated in a charity concert to raise funds for the families of the victims.
Davidson appeared as a host on real estate promoter Dave Del Dotto’s paid programs during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which were notable for taking place in outdoor, scenic settings (such as Hawaii). These "infomercials", as they have come to be called, often appeared on late night television and were a staple for years on many cable channels till the FCC filed a complaint against Del Dotto in 1995, alleging that he had "made false and unsubstantiated representations" in his programs.[13]
Davidson hosted a revival of Hollywood Squares which ran from 1986 to 1989. He also hosted 170 episodes of a revival of The $100,000 Pyramid in 1991. He also appeared as a featured guest on The Carpenters' television specials Space Encounters (1977) and Music! Music! Music! (1980).[citation needed] Following his run on Hollywood Squares, he was one of six people who auditioned to host the CBS daytime version of Wheel of Fortune (in the end, Bob Goen was hired).[14]
Recording career
Davidson was also a successful recording artist. He recorded twelve albums in the '60s and '70s. From 1966 to 1971, he recorded for Columbia Records, where he enjoyed his greatest success. Five of his albums reached the Billboard 200 album charts, with The Time of My Life! peaking at No. 19 in 1966.[15] His albums usually consisted of covers of recent hit singles along with some new material.
As a singles artist, he placed seven records on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Everytime I Sing a Love Song", released in 1976, peaked at No. 7, his most successful single.[16]
In June 2012 Davidson took on the role of Henry in the off-Broadway revival of The Fantasticks. In April 2013 he took on the role of the Wizard in the first North American tour of Wicked.[20] In 2016, Davidson played Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond at Judson Theatre Company in Pinehurst, North Carolina.[21] In June 2017, he took on the role of Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook in the North American tour of Finding Neverland.[22]
Personal life
Davidson's first marriage was to Jackie Miller. He has two children: John Davidson Jr., who often appeared with his father on later versions of Hollywood Squares; and Jennifer (Davidson) Kane. Since 1983 Davidson has been married to former backup singer Rhonda Rivera, and they have a daughter Ashleigh Davidson. They live primarily in Tamworth, New Hampshire.[23]
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↑ "Today's Birthdays". The Tennesseean. December 13, 2023. p.2A. ProQuest2901912529. Actor Dick Van Dyke is 98. Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 93. Actor-singer John Davidson is 82. Singer Ted Nugent is 75. See also:
"Today's Birthdays". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 13, 1993. p.2. ProQuest1869676321. Actor Dick Van Dyke is 68. Actor Christopher Plummer is 66. Singer John Davidson is 52. Singer Ted Nugent is 45.
↑ People Weekly Magazine, "John Davidson's 'Incredible' Year", August 23, 1980.
↑ "The Kraft Summer Music Hall, 1966-06-06, WNBC, 57 min." Archival Television Audio, Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
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