Spotted playing with his country-rock band by Bert Berns of Bang Records in 1970, Paul Davis was signed to the label as a solo artist. Born on April 21, 1948, in Meridian, MS, his soft, country inflected style helped win him several minor hits, including his first single, a cover of the Jarmels' 1961 doo wop hit "A Little Bit of Soap." He released his first LP with Bang in 1972, A Little Bit of Paul Davis. His next album, Ride 'Em Cowboy, produced a signature song of the same name. He followed up that album with Southern Tracks and Fantasies in 1976.