Lenny Davis Collection (MS-610)
Scope and Contents
Series I, Scrapbooks, contains ten scrapbooks documenting Lenny Davis’ life from 1956 to 2009. The scrapbooks also chronicle the activities and performances at the Forum Club, a night club in Dayton, Ohio, that operated between 1965 and 1977. The bulk of the material in this collection is between the dates 1965 and 1977. These scrapbooks contain club memorabilia, newspaper clippings, personal letters, personal photos, awards, club related business letters, club flyers and advertisements, and photos of various club entertainers and performances during its operation.
Series II, Other Materials, includes several dozen individual photographs that showcase Lenny, his career and bands, Lenny with family and friends, and numerous club entertainers from approximately 1961 to 1990. This series also includes one DVD of Lenny’s solo performance of “A Christmas Fantasy,” three vinyl LP records of Lenny’s bands and solo performances, and three posters, one of “City Lights,” one for a magazine cover, and one of “The Big Red Night.”
Dates
- Creation: 1956-2010
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1965-1990
Creator
- Davis, Lenny, 1936-2022 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on accessing paper-based material in this collection.
However, due to preservation concerns, original audio and video materials cannot be played in the reading room. Patrons may have access to digitized reference copies. Items without existing reference copies can be digitized at the patron’s request for the cost of creating a digital copy. Please contact us at least two (2) weeks in advance if you would like to request an audio or video reference copy.
All electronic records (indicated by an e-number, e.g., ms610_e0001) listed in this finding aid are processed and available; however, researchers are requested to contact us at least two (2) days in advance to request electronic records. Archives staff reserve the right to restrict access to files with privacy or confidentiality concerns. Access to original electronic media is restricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Leonard G. “Lenny” Davis (1936-2022) was an active member of the Miami Valley’s music industry his whole life. Lenny was born in Springfield and joined the United States Navy after high school where he served in numerous musical groups. After military service, Lenny was a successful performer with a career that ranged from show bands, dance bands, recording studios, radio, television, commercials, modeling, and Broadway musical productions. In 1965, Lenny opened the Forum Club in Dayton with co-owner Joe Kraft. The club operated for 12 years and was host to hundreds of shows and local talents. After the club closed in 1977, Lenny went on tour with his group “Big Red and the Davis Division,” the name later changed to “City Lights,” and his other group, “Stargate.”
Extent
4.9 linear feet
264 Megabytes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Lenny Davis operated the Forvm Club (Forum Club) in Dayton from 1965 until 1977. The scrapbooks of this collection contain memorabilia, photos, letters, and newspaper clippings about the club, as well as Lenny’s various performances, both solo and in bands. Additionally, there are many individual photos outside the scrapbooks that further document Lenny’s life and career, as well as club entertainers. This collection also includes audio/video recordings and posters.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 2 series:
- Series I: Scrapbooks, 1956-2009
- Series II: Other Material, circa 1961-1990
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Electronic files require the use of appropriate computer hardware and software. File formats in this collection include MP4.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Lenny Davis Collection was donated to Wright State University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives by Lenny Davis in December 2017.
Separated Materials
Large posters in the collection were separated to oversize flat file storage. Electronic media was separated to the E-Archives.
donor
- Davis, Lenny, 1936-2022 (Person)
Subject
- Big Red and the Davis Division (Musical group) (Organization)
- City Lights (Musical group) (Organization)
- Stargate (Musical group) (Organization)
- Forvm Club (Dayton, Ohio) (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Lenny Davis Collection (MS-610)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Tyler Elam
- Date
- 2022 September 21
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
