Brook Benton

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Brook Benton
Promotional photo of Benton.
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Franklin Peay
Born	September 19, 1931
Origin	Camden, SC
Died	April 9, 1988
Genre(s)	Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, Actor
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1958 - 1988
Label(s)	Mercury, RCA

Brook Benton was an American singer.

1 Rise To Fame
2 Big break
3 Death
4 Discography
- 4.1 Selected Albums
- 4.2 Singles
5 External links

[edit] Rise To Fame

Benjamin Franklin Peay was born September 19, 1931 in Camden, SC. When Benjamin was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs. So in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career. He went in and out of gospel groups such as "The Langfordaires", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet". When coming back to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and went back to New York to get a big break with his new singing group.

Brook earned a good living writing songs and co-producing albums. He wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere. Later he went on to Mercury label, which would eventually bring him big success.

[edit] Big break

Finally in 1959 he made his big break with his hits, It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly. It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 on the U.S. Pop charts. Both of the first two hits were written by Benton himself. He had many #1 hits such as Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. In 1960, he had two top 10 hit duets with Dinah Washington: "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" and "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love)". He made a total of 38 singles. The last album made by Brook Benton was "Fools Rush In" which was released in 2005.

[edit] Death

Brook died of complications from spinal meningitis in New York City on April 9, 1988.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Selected Albums

Year	Album	U.S. Pop
1959	This Time Of Year	12
1961	Golden Hits	82
1961	The Boll Weevil Song And 11 Other Great Hits	70
1962	If You Believe	77
1962	Singing The Blues- Lie To Me	40
1963	Golden Hits, Volume 2	82
1967	Laura(What's He Got That I Ain't Got	156
1969	Do Your Own Thing	189
1970	Brook Benton Today	27
1970	Homestyle	199

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	U.S. Pop	U.S. R&B	Album
1958	A Million Miles From Nowhere	82	-	-
1959	Endlessly	12	3	-
1959	Hurtin Inside	78	23	-
1959	It's Just A Matter Of Time	3	#1	It's Just A Matter Of Time
1959	So Close	38	5	-
1959	So Many Ways	6	#1	-
1959	Thankyou Pretty Baby	16	#1	-
1960	Baby(You've Got What It Takes)	5	#1	-
1960	Fools Rush In(Where Angels Fear To Tread)	24	-	Songs I Love To Sing
1960	Kiddio	7	#1	-
1960	A Rockin' Good Way	7	#1	-
1960	The Same One	16	21	-
1960	The Ties That Bind	37	15	-
1961	For My Baby	28	2	-
1961	Frankie and Johnny	20	14	The Boll Weevil Song
1961	It's Just A House Without You	45	-	-
1961	Think Twice	11	6	-
1961	The Boll Weevil Song	2	2	The Boll Weevil Song
1962	Hit Record	45	19	-
1962	Lie To Me	13	3	Singing The Blues
1962	Revenge	15	12	-
1962	Shadrack	19	-	-
1962	Still Waters Run Deep	89	-	-
1962	Walk On The Wild Side	43	-	-
1963	Hotel Happiness	3	2	-
1963	I Got What I Wanted	28	4	Singing The Blues
1963	My True Confession	22	7	Singing The Blues
1963	Two Tickets To Paradise	32	15	-
1964	Another Cup Of Coffee	47	47	-
1964	A House Is Not A Home	47	47	-
1965	Mother Nature, Father Time	53	26	Mother Nature, Father Time
1969	Nothing Can Take The Place Of You	74	11	-
1970	Don't It Make You Want To Go Home	45	31	Home Style
1970	My Way	72	25	Today
1970	Rainy Night in Georgia	4	#1	Today
1971	Shoes	67	18	-
1978	Making Love Is Good For You	-	49	-