Gospel Singer James B. Davis; Founded Dixie Hummingbirds

Within the next few years, the group went back to religious music and settled on a core of performers that consisted of Mr. Davis, William Bobo, Ira Tucker, Beachey Thompson and James Walker, with Howard Carroll on electric guitar.

The Dixie Hummingbirds appeared with Sister Rosetta Tharpe on gospel caravan shows and at major venues such as the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Their main work came from church events.

The group recorded for a series of independent music companies and was largely affiliated with the black-owned Peacock label in Houston. Mr. Davis composed several of its songs, including "The Inner Man" and "I'll Keep on Living After I Die."

The group had a well-received appearance at the Newport, R.I., Folk Festival in 1966 and the Newport Jazz Festival in 1972. The next year, the 'Birds accompanied Simon on "Loves Me Like a Rock."

Biographer Zolten once told a jazz journalism Web site that the Dixie Hummingbirds "could have made a lot of money touring with Simon but turned him down because they had commitments to perform at a string of little churches.

"They weren't going to make nearly as much money, but they had commitments and they didn't want to abandon their core audience," he said. "That is one of the things that made the Dixie Hummingbirds so highly regarded within the gospel community."

In 1999, the House of Blues music label released a Dixie Hummingbirds album, "Music in the Air," commemorating their 70th anniversary and featuring such entertainers as Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Mr. Davis's wife, the former Hortense Eddings, whom he married in 1937, died in 1993.

Survivors include five children, James B. Davis Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Harold Davis of Willingboro, N.J., and Arthur Davis, Betty Chambers and Janice Watlington, all of Philadelphia; and 17 grandchildren.

Mr. Davis was known by many Dixie Hummingbirds aficionados as the chief authority figure. After some early stumbles with band personnel matters, he set down strict rules regarding the prohibition of alcohol and women while the band was touring. He instituted hefty fines for tardiness, looking less than elegantly groomed and playing secular music.

He once told The Washington Post that he was equally hard on himself, noting the time he accidentally played a Muddy Waters blues tune on a jukebox in Texarkana, Ark., instead of a religious song. "I got fined $20 -- and $20 was like $500 to us then," he said.