Mark Davis, 93, local big band leader

Mark Davis, 93, of Cherry Hill, one of the last musicians from the local big band era who played many of Philadelphia's elite balls and parties for almost 50 years, died Sunday, May 2, at Lions Gate in Cherry Hill.

Mr. Davis started playing the violin at 5. By the time he graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1932, he was ready to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

However, to support a family, he knew he would have to supplement what orchestra musicians made in those days, his son Ken said. So he started playing with local pop bands in Center City hotels and nightclubs.

By the late 1930s, Mr. Davis started his own band, the Mark Davis Orchestra, and it quickly gained popularity. Whether it was Mr. Davis playing with three or four other violinists or Mr. Davis with a full band including drums, bass and brass, he was booked every weekend, his son said.

"His stock in trade was Broadway and popular music," his son said.

What made him unique, though, was his personality and demeanor, said Joey Roberts, chief executive officer of Roberts Event Group.

"He was a master at what he did," Roberts said. "He presented himself in a very sophisticated and stylish way."

He could read a crowd and connect with it, Roberts said.

At the 1984 Philadelphia Heart Ball, for example, a guest suffered a heart attack during the pre-dinner reception. Five cardiac specialists attending the ball rushed to the man in an attempt to revive him. While the rescue team worked, Mr. Davis and a string ensemble played softly to divert partygoers, according to an Inquirer article.

It was that ability to be on cue in any situation that clients admired about Mr. Davis, those who knew him said.

Mr. Davis played for many well-known people over time in Philadelphia, such as Walter H. Annenberg, Frederic Mann, and W. Thacher Longstreth.

The big-name clients even hired Mr. Davis to play at their summer parties in Palm Beach or the Hamptons.

The energy he created at a party kept Mr. Davis going for many years, his son said. He started slowing down once his clients began to retire, move away, or die. That also was around the time disc jockeys and synthetic music rose in popularity.

Mr. Davis was born and raised in South Philadelphia and married neighborhood friend Dorothy Yonker in 1940.

The couple lived in Philadelphia for a few years before moving to Jenkintown in the mid-1950s. They moved to Cherry Hill about 25 years ago. Yonker died in 2004.

At the height of his popularity, Mr. Davis spent his weekdays running errands and playing golf. Aside from listening to each new Broadway record once, he never practiced, his son said.

"He felt insulted when people asked him to audition," his son said. "He would say 'Listen, I've been doing this all my life.' "

In addition to his son, Mr. Davis is survived by daughter Judith, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 4, at Platt Memorial Chapels, 2001 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill. Interment will be at Roosevelt Memorial Park.