Brook Benton

BROOK BENTON
 
 
Brook Benton  (born Benjamin Franklin Peay; September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988) was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as “It’s Just a Matter of Time” and “Endlessly”, many of which he co-wrote.  He made a comeback in 1970 with the ballad “Rainy Night in Georgia”.  Benton scored over 50 Billboard chart hits as an artist, and also wrote hits for other performers.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
There is a great story in Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life about a chance meeting that he had with Mick Jagger; I saw something on TV about it also, probably on CBS Sunday Morning.  In a series called Letters of Note that was printed (or reprinted) in The Huffington Post is this section of a letter that Keith Richards wrote to his aunt about this meeting – I think the very next day: 
 
“You know I was keen on Chuck Berry and I thought I was the only fan for miles but one mornin’ on Dartford Stn. [that’s so I don’t have to write a long word like station] I was holding one of Chuck’s records when a guy I knew at primary school 7-11 yrs y’know came up to me.  He’s got every record Chuck Berry ever made and all his mates have too, they are all rhythm and blues fans, real R&B I mean (not this Dinah Shore, Brook Benton crap), Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Chuck, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, all the Chicago bluesmen real lowdown stuff, marvelous.  Bo Diddley he’s another great. 
 

“Anyways the guy on the station, he is called Mick Jagger and all the chicks and the boys meet every Saturday morning in the ‘Carousel’ some juke-joint.  Well one morning in Jan., I was walking past and decided to look him up.” 

I think I also remember Keith’s saying in that letter, or telling his mother or something, that Mick Jagger was going to be famous. 

 

(May 2015)