In Memorium… Remembering Scott Davis- (SS Priest/ S St Lust) – Guitarist and coFounder of Diamond Rexx – Guitarist of D’Molls

On Tuesday, 8, October, 2024, the incredibly sad news came into my texts from a mutual friend, that the Chicago Music scene and the metal scene world wide lost one of their good guys and very talented guitarists, Scott Davis. I don’t need to talk about what happened that caused this, the fact he is gone, leaving behind a family who loves him, band mates who looked at him as a brother, and friends and fans world wide should be enough.

It’s taken me a bit of time to figure out what to say, I have written and erased so many times the past couple of weeks, so, I am gonna just type and what comes out comes out. I met Scott and Ken Brejcha (aka “Nasti Habits”) and the rest of Rexx in 1983/84 ish (brain’s a bit foggy- many years and many beers ya know) .. when I attended a Diamond Rexx rehearsal with mutual friends of the band up at their rehearsal space in Cicero, which is a suburb of Chicago.

I had a tape of the rehearsal for a long time that had some rough versions of songs like Up and Down, Cuz I Want You, possibly B*A*T*S and Kick in Your Face that I listened to now and then and would play for people because they needed to hear this band! … and I had the independently released cassette, and autographed black and white 8×10 that I think Scott signed as ‘ S St Lust’ (someone actually stole it off the fucking wall of my house at a party in the late 80’s) and I was a fan from the first time I heard them. I took the cassette to the local radio station to dub off so that way they could play it on the rock show they had at night – WITY’s NightRock w/ Kelly Karns (Kelly was a close friend and remains so) and after numerous times trying to get them downstate for a show it finally worked out thanks to the awesome Al Schaffer and New Year’s Eve 1984 at The Cellar Lounge in Danville, Illinois, Diamond Rexx made their debut to the Danville area crowd and rang in the New Year of 1985 to a sold out house that had to turn people away. There is a video tape out there of that show that Monty Jones had recorded somewhere that is definitely a moment in time, complete with Monty’s false leg being held above the stage for Kick In Your Face- (my personal copy went missing a few years back- if you have a copy get ahold of me or Ken or get it on to YouTube and let us know!). Prior to that, the downstate audience had only heard the band on the radio and/or dealt with my hyping them to whomever would listen (or who I could get to sit and watch the Cablevision show they were on that I had on video tape, and still do I think somewhere in my archive).

I won’t bore you with all the prep that went into it, if you have worked in production you already know and I admit it was an exhausting day, but it was also an amazing night of music, the band were tight as hell and I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world. I was proud for them when they landed a recording contract with Island and so thrilled when I was sent a copy of Land of the Damned from Island to review for the Independent News Music Scene column that I did (having already purchased the cassette). I think I may have actually squealed like a little kid the first time I saw the video for I Wish I Was Rich on TV back then… I do remember slapping my friend who was with me on the shoulder and saying something about working with Rexx once, and the whole told you they weren’t ‘just some Chicago band’ and she reminded me she was at the Danville gig…

Time marches on- and Scott had left Rexx for a bit- moving out to LA to follow that rock and roll dream as the guitarist for glam band D’Molls and I was happy for him when I got the copy from Atlantic of the D’Molls debut on the label with some other releases for review- I think the only one I did review of the bunch was the D’Molls debut. I do remember tho, there was this one chick in PR at Atlantic was a pain back then (she wasn’t there long) as she snottily said to me after I had made a comment about Scott being an excellent guitarist ” We call him S now” to which I replied something to the effect of, ” that’s nice, I will call him that if I am around him in public at a gig, otherwise, I’ll call him Scott unless HE says differently, I’ve known him longer than you. ” (Yah, I have always had a mouth on me…) and it was very cool flipping on MTV’s Headbangers Ball and there he was when the video for D’Molls song 777 came out… funny, how time is, seems like not that long ago, but… as it was 40 years ago that The Cellar show happened, so I guess time flies…

ANYWAY, I in no way lay claim that Scott was a close friend, but, he was someone I once knew and have always respected and I was and am a fan of the music he created- he was talented, and as most will tell you, a genuinely nice guy. I had hoped to surprise Ken and even Scott in the next year and just show up at a Diamond Rexx gig back home in Illinois, wearing my Rexx t-shirt and saying SURPRISE! Chicago friends and my youngest brother who still lives back there knew I had been wanting to do that. I have planned on doing that every year for the past I don’t know how many years as I couldn’t figure out how to get any venue here to pay for travel and hotel for them to come play Vegas (yup, I talked to Ken about that a couple of times!) …. and yah, I kept trying to figure out how to pull that off but Vegas is a lot farther from Chicago than Danville… and I always figured there would be time, you know, always be next year to see a band I always loved, and renew old friendships with people I knew when we were a tad bit younger, but something always came up to where I couldn’t get home. Life happens as it were.

I’ll get back home for a visit eventually, but sadly, I doubt that it will be to see my favorite Chicago metal band as the fate of the band is up in the air I am sure right now. I haven’t asked Ken, I can ask that of him later, he doesn’t need the journalistic me asking questions- I was and am a friend and a fan first and foremost and I remain so. I’ll probably find photos later from the rehearsal or Danville or a party at Jim’s in Georgetown when Ken and Scott were in for a weekend when we were trying to make a Danville show happen… but maybe those aren’t meant to be shared as I know they are somewhere stored away in a box of photos but can’t locate them right now. I just know that I don’t need to read a statement from the band or their label- those people have known and loved Scott since go- I know and understand how they probably feel.

To Ini, Scott’s beloved wife and their family, and to Ken, Dave Andre, and Johnny Cottone, and the other musicians Scott has played with over the years in D’Molls and in Diamond Rexx and elsewhere, I send my deepest condolences, and heartfelt prayers. You are all in my thoughts at this time…

There is a Go Fund Me set up for Scott to help pay for his funeral expenses and help out his family during this time too. If you can help out please do, or at least share the fundraiser so it gets in front of people who may have been fans or long distance friends and can help out. I think it is the best memorial for Scott that we could do right now. Please donate at the following link. Thank you :

Scott Davis / SS Priest Fundraiser by Skylar Davis on Go Fund Me

Lastly, I just wanna say, Thanks Scott for always being uniquely you- for some happy metal memories of younger days and for the many years of awesome music. See ya on the big stage on the other side… 🤘

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PHOTO CREDITS- Promo photos from Atlantic and Island Records- Featured Photo of Nasti andSS on stage by unknown photographer and permission to use photo given by Ken Brejcha (Nasti Habits) coFounder and vocalist of Diamond Rexx- Diamond Rexx Live Photos by John Barry for ZRockR Magazine – (c) 2017/2024 – All Rights Reserved- Other Diamond Rexx odds and ends and Diamond Rexx shirt from Sylvia’s collection-and courtesy of her.

VIDEO CREDITS: I Wish I Was Rich by Diamond Rexx from their 1986 debut LP Land of the Damned that was released on Island Records is from YouTube channel of Karoshiga and 777 by D’Molls from their 1988 self titled debut album that was released on Atlantic Records is from the YouTube channel of UlcusMovies – Diamond Rexx live at the Rochaus in West Dundee, Illinois 2023 from the YouTube channel of maryjones