Brook benton biography wikipedia

Name originally Benjamin Franklin Peay; born September 19, 1931, in Camden, SC; died of pneumonia, April 9, 1988, in New York, NY; son of a Methodist minister; married wife, Mary, c. 1954; children: Brook, Roy, Vanessa, Gerald.

Singer-songwriter Brook Benton was one of the top performers of the early 1960s.

In addition to writing hits for other famous vocalists, he gave music fans the gift of his own smooth baritone voice on popular ballads such as "It's Just a Matter of Time," "Endlessly," and "A Rainy Night in Georgia." Benton also garnered applause singing duets with famed jazz artist Dinah Washington and staged a brief comeback during the 1970s.

Benton was born Benjamin Franklin Peay in Camden, South Carolina, on September 19, 1931.

His father was a Methodist minister, and Benton sang in his church as a child. His interest in gospel music continued into his teens, and he performed with local gospel groups for a time. But when he was seventeen, Benton left for New York City to