Don Covay is an influential African-American R&B/Rock and Roll/Soul Music singer and songwriter most active in the 1950's and 1960's, who received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994.^[1] is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Downtown Orangeburg, South Carolina Website: www. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... The Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music. ...

History

Early career

Don Covay was born in March 1938 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. Covay resettled in Washington during the early 50's and initially sang in the Cherry Keys, his family's gospel quartet. He crossed over to secular music with the Rainbows, a formative group which also included Marvin Gaye and Billy Stewart. Covay's solo career began in 1957 as part of the Little Richard Revue. Downtown Orangeburg, South Carolina downtown Orangeburg Orangeburg City Hall/Stevenson Municipal Auditorium Orangeburg, also known as The Garden City, is the largest city and county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,827 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... A quartet is a group of four identical or similar objects, or a grouping of four persons for a common purpose. ... A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who gather to perform music. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Billy Stewart (born on 24 March 1937, in Washington, DC; died on 17 January 1970) was an African-American musical artist. ... In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer (solo is an Italian word literally meaning alone). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Career achievements

A single "Bip Bop Bip" was released on Atlantic and produced by Little Richard, on which Covay was billed as "Pretty Boy". It also featured his backing band the Upsetters. Over the next few years Covay drifted from label to label, but a further dance-oriented track called "Popeye Waddle" was a hit in 1962. Covay meanwhile honed his songwriting skills by penning a hit for Solomon Burke, "I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You", while Gladys Knight & The Pips reached the US Top 20 with "Letter Full of Tears". A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... In the music industry, a release is the event at which an album or single is first released for sale. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and recording from 1951. ... A backing band or backup band is a band which accompanies an artist at a live performance or on a recording. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition. ... A song which has charted in one of the worlds music charts, or (if a specialist genre of music) had proven popularity. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Pips redirects here. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ...

Covay's singing career continued to falter until 1964, when he signed to the Rosemart label. His debut single there with the Goodtimers, "Mercy Mercy" ( accompanied by a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar), established his earthy bluesy style. Atlantic bought his contract, but, while several R&B hits followed, it was a year before Covay returned to the pop chart. "See Saw", co-written with Steve Cropper and recorded at Stax, paved the way for more hits. In music accompaniment is the art of playing along with a soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner as well as the music thus played. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties that the law will enforce. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Steve The Colonel Cropper (born Stephen Lee Cropper, on October 21, 1941) is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and soul musician. ... “Sound recorder” redirects here. ... Stax Records is an American record label, originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee. ...

Don Covay's songs still remain successful: Aretha Franklin won a Grammy for her performance of his composition "Chain of Fools" He is a legendary composer and singer, best known for his R&B classic compositions "Mercy Mercy", "Chain of Fools", "See Saw" and "Sookie Sookie". Covay had success as a singer as Don Covay and The Goodtimers, and his compositions have been recorded by such varied artists as Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack, The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, The Small Faces, and many more. Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Buskers perform in San Francisco A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers) behave in a particular way for another group of people (the audience). ... Musical composition is: a piece of music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new piece of music // A piece of music exists in the form of a written composition in musical notation or as a single acoustic event (a live performance or recorded track). ... The performing arts are those forms of art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artists own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some... It has been suggested that The Sparrows be merged into this article or section. ... Robert Dwayne Womack (born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on March 4, 1944), is an African-American singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... The Rolling Stones are an English band whose blues, rhythm and blues and rock and roll-infused music became popular during the British Invasion in the early 1960s. ... Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B/Rock and Roll and soul singer. ... Small Faces were a British mod group formed in 1965[1] by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (who was soon replaced by Ian McLagan). ...

Current

In the mid 1990s Don Covay had a debilitating stroke, but he has recovered well. He is still active, composing new songs in the 21st century. His most recent album is Adlib, released in 2000, which was his first album in 25 years. Stroke (or cerebrovascular accident or CVA) is the clinical designation for a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ...

Discography

• Mercy! (1965)
• See Saw (1966)
• The House of Blue Light (1969)
• Country Funk (1970)
• Different Strokes for Different Folks (1971)
• Super Dude (1973)
• Hot Blood (1975)
• Travelin' in Heavy Traffic (1976)
• Funky Yo Yo (1977)
• Adlib (2000)

The House of Blue Lights is an Rhythm & blues album by the soul music artist Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band. ...

External links

• Don Covay at All Music Guide
• Youtube video
• [http://www.myspace.com/doncovay