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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBENTON, Brook(b Benjamin Franklin Peay, 19 Sept. '31, Camden SC) Soul singer. From gospel music background; sang with Camden Jubilee Singers and delivered milk mornings while still a boy. Trip north at 17 to sell songs; back to gospel with Bill Landford Spiritual Singers and Golden Gate Quartet; next trip north with R&B group the Sandmen; drove a truck on the side, made around 500 demo discs for Nat Cole, Roy Hamilton, Clyde McPhatter, many others, with writing collaborator Clyde Otis. First signed as solo to Epic; minor hit 'A Million Miles From Nowhere' on Vik; then at Mercury with Otis and arranger Belford Hendricks: 'Endlessly', 'It's Just A Matter Of Time', 'Thank You Pretty Baby' all top 20 hits '59. His warm, golden brown voice appealing to just about everybody, ballad style compared to Nat Cole, Sinatra and Tony Bennett, he had 21 gold discs in five years: 'So Many Ways' '59, 'Kiddio' '60, 'Think Twice' '61, 'The Boll Weevil Song', 'Frankie And Johnny', 'Shadrack', 'Lie To Me', 'Hotel Happiness', all '62. In addition duets with Dinah Washington incl. successful singles 'Baby (You've Got What It Takes)', 'A Rockin' Good Way', both '60. Chart hits '63--4 incl. 'True Confession', 'I Got What I Wanted', 'Two Tickets To Paradise', 'Another Cup Of Coffee', but none made top 20. Label hopping began, RCA to Reprise to Cotillion; top five hit '70 with Tony Joe White's 'Rainy Day In Georgia', but fickle pop-chart taste had gone elsewhere. He remained a top attraction (London's Barbican Centre '84). Compilations and reissues incl. two-CD Anthology on Rhino, The Two Of Us with Dinah on Mercury. |