Cyril Davies began his career in the early 1950s first within Steve Lane´s Southern Stompers, then as part of an acoustic skiffle and blues group with Alexis Korner

He began as a banjo and 12-string guitar player before becoming Britain's first Chicago-style blues harmonica player.
In 1962, Davies and Korner opened a club called the Ealing Club in London, adding bassist Jack Bruce, saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and drummer Charlie Watts, to form the electric band Blues Incorporated. The album R&B from the Marquee features both Davies and Korner.

Many young musicians visited the Ealing Club and 'guested' with Blues Incorporated, including Rod Stewart, Paul Jones, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Eric Burdon, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Ginger Baker.
Soon there was musical tension in the band, as some members wanted to play crowd-pleasers like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley tracks while Cyril Davies was a blues purist who wanted to play what he saw as only genuine Chicago-style R&B. Following the dissolution of Blues Incorporated in October 1962, Davies formed the Cyril Davies All-Stars in November 1962 and recorded five tracks for Pye Records, who had announced an R&B label featuring music imported from Davies' favourite Chicago musicians ("Country Line Special", "Chicago Calling", "Preaching the Blues", "Sweet Mary" and "Someday Baby"). The original line-up, largely recruited from Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages, was later subject to frequent changes, particularly after Davies' death.

A number of 'R&B All-Stars' tracks with various line-ups, including Carlo Little, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Nicky Hopkins, are to be found on different record labels and anthologies - the name apparently continuing for several years. Those compilations include, A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (Sequel Records), Stroll On (Sony Music), and Dealing With the Devil (Sony Music).

Davies died of acute leukemia in January 1964.

The core band was taken over by Long John Baldry and formed the basis of Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men.

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