Throughout history there have been so few artists who could exhibit the impressive versatility of Brook Benton. It seemed that he was able to command any genre of music that was popular at the time. This includes rock and roll, pop, R&B and, of course, blues.
It is therefore no wonder that he still holds a special place in the hearts of his fans. Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of his death, but you can still find him in record collections around the world and being rediscovered on sites such as YouTube.
Benton gave everything in pursuit of his passion and ultimately found success within the bright lights of New York. However, the beginning of his story actually takes place more than 700 miles away in South Carolina.
Growing up gospel
The first thing that people should know about Brook Benton is that his name wasn’t actually Brook Benton. He was born Benjamin Franklin Peay in Camden, South Carolina in 1931. It was later be determined that this name would hold him back from achieving his ambitions, but as a young man he was utterly unaware that this was one of the sacrifices he’d need to make in order to find success.
Brook – or Benjamin as he was known at this time – had rather humble beginnings. His father Willie was a minister and also acted as the choirmaster for the church. This gave his son Brook the opportunity to hone his amazing vocal talents and learn about the importance of singing in a group.
This gospel experience was enough to convince Benton that he could make a career out of his voice. South Carolina, however, wasn’t the place where this could happen. So, at the age of 17, he waved goodbye to his hometown and made his way to the Big Apple.
Those goodbyes to his nearest and dearest are another example of the sacrifices he made while chasing his dreams.
Making it big
The year was 1948 and Brook must have felt like he had the world at his feet when he first stepped out into the concrete jungle. At first he had to make his way by doing jobs such as washing dishes and driving trucks while recording demo tapes on the side.
Just like him there were many others who were focused on becoming a star and it didn’t take Benton long to find them. The teenager joined a number of gospel groups, including The Langfordaires, The Jerusalem Stars and The Golden Gate Quartet. The biggest of which came when he became a member of The Sandmen, which – rather ironically – came about during a brief return to South Carolina.
Signed up to Okeh Records, The Sandmen experienced various levels of success during their time together. In a twist of fate that would determine the rest of his life, the label turned their attention to pushing ahead with Benton as a solo artist and wanted to know whether he was ready to seize the opportunity in front of him.
Benton agreed, but not before assuming the name that we know him by today. Benjamin Peay might have hit the glass ceiling, but the sky was the limit for
It didn’t take long for the hits to start coming and before long Benton could be heard on radios across the country. In 1959 he released It’s Just A Matter of Time and watched as the record went to the top of the Billboard Hot R&B Sides. It was the perfect showcase of his super smooth baritone voice.
The track sold over one million copies and was a success by anyone’s standards. Benton would quickly follow it up with Endlessly, which was released in the same year. It was similarly well-received and peaked at number three in the charts.
These two singles alone were probably enough to secure Benton’s place in music history, but arguably the best was yet to come. Unfortunately, it would take a while for him to get there.
One last hurrah
While Benton continued to release music and perform throughout the 1960s, he wasn’t making the same impact as he had with those two singles from 1959. He ended up going many years without a hit before deciding to release a version of Rainy Night in Georgia in 1969.
The song was written by Tony Joe White but it was Benton’s stylish vocals that made it a hit. It went onto top the Billboard Best-selling Soul Singles and even reached number four on the Top 100.
Now – more than 50 years on – this is arguably the song that springs into people’s heads when they think about Brook Benton.
Benton’s chart positions only tell half the story. It wasn’t always about taking the top spot and even when his music didn’t crack the top 10 he continued to bring the blues to his fans in the way that only he could.
All in all he had over 50 singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100 before his death in 1988. There would be resurgences and there would be declines, but Benton would keep pursuing his passion well into the 1980s.
Benton then sadly passed away from pneumonia in New York City in 1988. He was aged just 56.
Gone but not forgotten
If you want evidence of Benton’s legacy, you need look no further than sites like YouTube. You can still find fans – both new and old – sharing his music and basking in his vocals.
In fact, one comment rather sums up the long-lasting impact that he had on an entire generation. It reads:
“There is no vocalist like Brook Benton. That man is polished and perfect. Though I’m old and he’s gone, he still makes my knees weak.”
Yes, Brook Benton might be gone, but for many his star still shines bright to this very day.