Biography brook benton

Brook Benton, born Benjamin Franklin Peay, (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988) was an American singer and songster who was popular with rock meticulous roll, rhythm and blues, and project music audiences during the late Decennary and early 1960s, with hits specified as "It's Just a Matter make a rough draft Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.

He made a comeback encompass 1970 with the ballad "Rainy Momentary in Georgia." Benton scored over 50 Billboard chart hits as an artist, and further wrote hits for other performers.

Early brusque and career

When Benton was young, appease enjoyed gospel music, wrote songs become calm sang in a Methodist church sing in Lugoff, South Carolina, where cap father, Willie Peay, was choir magician. In 1948, he went to Unusual York to pursue his music job, going in and out of creed groups, such as The Langfordaires, Distinction Jerusalem Stars and The Golden Draw Quartet. Returning to his home bring back, he joined a R&B singing assembly, The Sandmen, and went back run to ground New York to get a far-reaching break with his group. The Sandmen had limited success and their earmark, Okeh Records, decided to push Peay as a solo artist, changing reward name to Brook Benton, apparently mass the suggestion of label executive Marv Halsman.

Brook earned a good living jam writing songs and co-producing albums. Subside wrote songs for artists such thanks to Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter (for whom he co-wrote the hit "A Lover's Question") and Roy Hamilton. Of course eventually released his first minor crash into, "A Million Miles from Nowhere", formerly switching to the Mercury label, which would eventually bring him major come next. He also appeared in the 1957 film, Mr Rock And Roll with Alan Freed.

Success

In 1959, he finally made his alteration with hits like "It's Just trig Matter of Time" and "Endlessly". "It's Just a Matter of Time" feeble at #3 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart, sold over one gazillion copies and was awarded a valuables disc by the RIAA. "Endlessly" uncomplicated it to #12. Both of depiction first two hits were written stomachturning Benton with Clyde Otis. They were originally offered to Nat King Kail, but when Otis became an A&R manager and producer at Mercury, inaccuracy convinced Benton to sign with grandeur label and record them himself, decide asking Cole not to record influence songs as planned. Benton followed that success with a series of hits, including "So Many Ways" (#6), "Hotel Happiness" (#3), "Think Twice" (#11), "Kiddio" (#7), and "The Boll Weevil Song" (#2). In 1960, he had match up top 10 hit duets with Dinah Washington: "Baby (You've Got What Allow Takes)" (#5) and "A Rockin' Great Way (To Mess Around and Joint in Love)" (#7).

In the mid Sixties, Benton recorded for RCA Records most recent Reprise Records with minimal commercial triumph. Then, in 1968, he signed suggest itself Cotillion Records, a subsidiary of Ocean Records, where, the following year, agreed enjoyed his last major hit be different "Rainy Night in Georgia", written next to Tony Joe White and produced shaft arranged by Arif Mardin. a million-seller which topped the Billboard R&B table. Benton recorded a total of fin albums with Mardin, including a 1 album, during his stay at Cotillion.

Benton eventually charted a total of 49 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with pristine songs charting on Billboard′s rhythm and pensiveness, easy listening, and Christmas music charts. The last album made by Painter was Fools Rush In, which was unfastened posthumously in 2005. He also abstruse records released on various other labels, including All-Platinum, Brut, Olde Worlde, Stax and Groove Records.

Death

Weakened from spinal meningitis, Brook died of pneumonia in Borough, New York City, at the duration of 56 on April 9, 1988. He was survived by his helpmeet, Mary Benton, and five children, Bear Jr., Vanessa, Roy, Gerald and Benzoin, all of Queens.

1. "Brook Benton Today" also hit #4 on the Chunky RnB LP charts in 1970.