# Brook Benton

Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly".
His last hit was the 1970 ballad "Rainy Night in Georgia". Benton scored more than 50 Billboard chart hits as a singer/songwriter and with hits he wrote for other performers.

## Early life and career

Benton began singing gospel music in a Methodist church choir in Lugoff, South Carolina, where his father was choir master.
In 1948, Benton went to New York where he joined The Langfordaires and The Jerusalem Stars before joining The Sandmen. Epic Records signed The Sandmen in 1954, immediately sending the group to record at the Columbia studios in New York. Columbia placed The Sandmen on its Okeh Records. Upon a second recording session, Okeh decided to push Benton as a solo artist. Benton recorded his first solo, "The Kentuckian Song", the theme from a movie of the same name.
Benton switched to RCA's Vik subsidiary in 1957, where he had a single chart appearance, 1958's "A Million Miles From Nowhere", which peaked at No. 82 on U.S. charts. He wrote two songs that charted for other performers, Clyde McPhatter's "A Lover's Question" and Nat King Cole's "Looking Back".
In 1958, Benton signed with Mercury Records, where he recorded hits "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Endlessly", "Thank You Pretty Baby", "So Many Ways", "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", "A Rockin' Good Way" (both duets with Dinah Washington), "Kiddio", "The Boll Weevil Song", and "Hotel Happiness".
One of Benton's sisters was the original artist to record "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)", in 1958, under the title "You've Got What It Takes", using the stage name Dorothy Pay, as the B-side of her single "Strollin' with My Baby". In August 1959 Benton partnered with Dinah Washington to record the song and their version, released in January 1960, was hugely successful on both the pop and R&B charts, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot R&B sides chart for 10 weeks, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the 1960s.

## Success

In 1959, he finally made his breakthrough with hits like "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly". "It's Just a Matter of Time" peaked at No. 3 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart, sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. "Endlessly" made it to No. 12. Both of the first two hits were written by Benton with Clyde Otis. They were originally offered to Nat King Cole, but when Otis became an A&R manager and producer at Mercury, he convinced Benton to sign with the label and record them himself, while asking Cole not to record the songs as planned. Benton followed this success with a series of hits, including "So Many Ways" (No. 6), "Hotel Happiness" (No. 3), "Think Twice" (No. 11), "Kiddio" (No. 7), and "The Boll Weevil Song" (No. 2). In 1960, he had two top 10 hit duets with Dinah Washington: "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" (No. 5) and "A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" (No. 7).
In the mid 1960s, Benton recorded for RCA Records and Reprise Records with minimal commercial success. Then, in 1968, he signed with Cotillion Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, where, the following year, he enjoyed his last major hit with "Rainy Night in Georgia", written by Tony Joe White and produced and arranged by Arif Mardin, a million-seller which topped the Billboard R&B chart. Cornell Dupree played guitar on the song. Benton recorded a total of five albums with Mardin, including a gospel album, during his stay at Cotillion.
Benton eventually charted a total of 49 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with other songs charting on Billboard's rhythm and blues, easy listening, and Christmas music charts. The last album made by Benton was Fools Rush In, which was released posthumously in 2005. He also had records released on various other labels, including All-Platinum, Brut, Olde Worlde, Stax and Groove Records.

## Death

Weakened from spinal meningitis, Benton died of pneumonia in Queens, New York City, at the age of 56 on April 9, 1988. He was survived by his wife, Mary Benton, and six children: Brook Jr., Vanessa, Roy, Is'real, Gerald, and Benjamin.

## Discography
### Albums

| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| Year | Album | US 200 | US R&B |
| 1959 | It's Just a Matter of Time | — | — |
| 1959 | Endlessly | — | — |
| 1960 | I Love You in So Many Ways | — | — |
| 1960 | The Two of Us (with Dinah Washington) | — | — |
| 1960 | Songs I Love to Sing | — | — |
| 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 | — |
| 1963 | Best Ballads of Broadway | — | — |
| 1964 | Born to Sing the Blues | — | — |
| 1964 | Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got) | 156 | — |
| 1969 | Do Your Own Thing | 189 | — |
| 1970 | Brook Benton Today | 27 | 4 |
| 1970 | Brook Benton I Wanna Be With You | — | — |
| 1970 | Homestyle | 199 | — |
| 1971 | The Gospel Truth | — | — |
| 1972 | Story Teller | — | — |
| 1973 | Something for Everyone | — | — |
| 1976 | This is Brook Benton (released in the UK as "Mister Bartender") | — | — |
| 1977 | Makin' Love Is Good for You | — | — |
| 1977 | The Incomparable Brook Benton – 20 Greatest Hits (Warwick) | — | — |
| 1979 | Ain't No Good | — | — |
| 1979 | So Close | — | — |
| 1981 | Brook Benton Sings the Standards | — | — |
| 1983 | 20 Golden Pieces of Brook Benton | — | — |
| 1983 | Beautiful memories of Christmas | — | — |
| 1984 | Soft | — | — |
| 1989 | Forty Greatest Hits (compilation) | — | — |
| 2002 | Rainy Night in Georgia (compilation, remastered) | — | — |
| 2021 | Just A Matter of Time (compilation) | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. ||||

### Singles

| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Title | US Pop | CB Pop | US R&B | US AC | Canada | UK | Album |
| 1955 | "The Kentuckian Song" b/w "Ooh" (Non-album track) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton at His Best!!! |
| 1955 | "Some of My Best Friends" b/w "Bring Me Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton at His Best!!! |
| 1956 | "Love Made Me Your Fool" b/w "Give Me a Sign" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton at His Best!!! |
| 1957 | "The Wall" b/w "All My Love Belongs to You" (from The Soul of Brook Benton) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton at His Best!!! |
| 1957 | "Come On, Be Nice" b/w "I Wanna Do Everything for You" (from Brook Benton) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1958 | "A Million Miles from Nowhere" b/w "Devoted" | 82 | – | – | – | – | – | Brook Benton |
| 1959 | "It's Just a Matter of Time" | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 6 | – | It's Just a Matter of Time |
| 1959 | "Hurtin' Inside" | 78 | – | 23 | – | – | – | Golden Hits |
| 1959 | "Endlessly" | 12 | 11 | 3 | – | 11 | 28 | Endlessly |
| 1959 | "So Close" | 38 | 60 | 5 | – | – | – | I Love You In So Many Ways |
| 1959 | "Thank You Pretty Baby" | 16 | 10 | 1 | – | 19 | – | Golden Hits |
| 1959 | "With All of My Heart" | 82 | 66 | – | – | – | – | Golden Hits |
| 1959 | "So Many Ways" | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | 18 | – | I Love You In So Many Ways |
| 1959 | "I Want You Forever" | – | 103 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1959 | "This Time of the Year" b/w "Nothing In The World (Could Make Me Love You More Than I Do)" (first pressings) "How Many Times" (later pressings) | 66 | 65 | 12 | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1960 | "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" b/w "I Do" (Both sides with Dinah Washington) | 5 | 2 | 1 | – | 14 | – | The Two of Us |
| 1960 | "The Ties That Bind" | 37 | 23 | 15 | – | 31 | – | Golden Hits |
| 1960 | "Hither and Thither and Yon" | 58 | 49 | – | – | – | – | Golden Hits |
| 1960 | "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall In Love)" b/w "I Believe" (Both sides with Dinah Washington) | 7 | 5 | 1 | – | 17 | – | The Two of Us |
| 1960 | "Kiddio" | 7 | 3 | 1 | – | 16 | 41 | Golden Hits |
| 1960 | "The Same One" | 16 | 16 | 21 | – | 16 | – | Golden Hits |
| 1960 | "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)" | 24 | 15 | 5 | – | 18 | 50 | Songs I Love to Sing |
| 1960 | "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You" | 93 | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1960 | "This Time of the Year" b/w "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1961 | "Think Twice" | 11 | 6 | – | – | 18 | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1961 | "For My Baby" | 28 | 24 | 2 | – | 18 | – | Non-album track |
| 1961 | "The Boll Weevil Song" | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 30 | The Boll Weevil Song |
| 1961 | "Your Eyes" | – | 115 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1961 | "Frankie and Johnny" | 20 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 13 | – | The Boll Weevil Song |
| 1961 | "It's Just a House Without You" | 45 | 71 | – | 8 | 13 | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1961 | "Revenge" b/w "Really, Really" (Non-album track) | 15 | 16 | 12 | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1962 | "Shadrack" | 19 | 29 | – | – | 4 | – | If You Believe |
| 1962 | "The Lost Penny" | 77 | 94 | – | – | 4 | – | If You Believe |
| 1962 | "Walk on the Wild Side" b/w "Somewhere in the Used to Be" (Non-album track) | 43 | 42 | – | – | 33 | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1962 | "Hit Record" | 45 | 36 | 19 | – | 34 | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1962 | "Thanks to the Fool" | 106 | 86 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1962 | "Lie to Me" | 13 | 10 | 3 | – | 36 | – | Singing the Blues |
| 1962 | "With the Touch of Your Hand" | 120 | 126 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1962 | "Still Waters Run Deep" | 89 | 81 | – | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1963 | "Hotel Happiness" | 3 | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | Golden Hits Volume 2 |
| 1963 | "I Got What I Wanted" | 28 | 22 | 4 | 14 | 39 | – | Singing the Blues |
| 1963 | "Dearer Than Life" | 59 | 72 | – | – | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1963 | "My True Confession" | 22 | 29 | 7 | 8 | – | – | Singing The Blues |
| 1963 | "Tender Years" | – | 87 | – | – | – | – | Singing The Blues |
| 1963 | "Two Tickets to Paradise" b/w "Don't Hate Me" | 32 | 30 | 15 | 8 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1963 | "Baby, You've Got It Made" (w/ Damita Jo) | 111 | 133 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1963 | "Stop Foolin'" (w/ Damita Jo) | 108 | 87 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1963 | "You're All I Want for Christmas" b/w "This Time of the Year" | – | 59 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1964 | "Going Going Gone" b/w "After Midnight"(from Born to Sing the Blues) | 35 | 30 | 5 | 11 | – | – | On the Countryside |
| 1964 | "Another Cup of Coffee" | 47 | 40 | 4 | 13 | – | – | Non-album track |
| 1964 | "Too Late to Turn Back Now" | 43 | 38 | 8 | 14 | – | – | This Bitter Earth |
| 1964 | "A House Is Not a Home" b/w "Come On Back" | 75 | 50 | 6 | 13 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1964 | "Lumberjack" b/w "Don't Do What I Did (Do What I Say)" | 53 | 47 | 11 | 15 | – | – | This Bitter Earth |
| 1964 | "Do It Right" | 67 | 58 | 33 | – | – | – | This Bitter Earth |
| 1964 | "Please, Please Make It Easy" | 119 | – | – | – | – | – | This Bitter Earth |
| 1965 | "The Special Years" b/w "Where There's a Will (There's a Way") | 129 | 109 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1965 | "Love Me Now" b/w "A Sleepin' at the Foot of the Bed" | 100 | 97 | – | 37 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1965 | "Mother Nature, Father Time" b/w "While There's Life (There's Still Hope)" | 53 | 43 | 26 | 9 | 27 | – | Mother Nature, Father Time |
| 1966 | "Only a Girl Like You" b/w "While There's Life (There's Still Hope)" | 122 | 102 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1966 | "Too Much Good Lovin'" b/w "A Sailor Boy's Love Song" | 126 | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1966 | "Break Her Heart" b/w "In the Evening by Moonlight" | – | – | – | 37 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1966 | "If Only You Knew" b/w "So True in Life, So True in Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1966 | "Our First Christmas Together" b/w "Silent Night" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1967 | "All My Love Belongs to You" b/w "Wake Up" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1967 | "Keep the Faith, Baby" b/w "Going to Soulsville" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1967 | "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" b/w "You're the Reason I'm Living" | 78 | 88 | – | 37 | – | – | Laura, What's He Got That I Ain't Got |
| 1968 | "Weakness in a Man" b/w "The Glory of Love" (from Laura, What's He Got That I Ain't Got) | – | – | – | 36 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1968 | "Lonely Street" b/w "Instead (of Loving You)" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1968 | "Do Your Own Thing" b/w "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" | 99 | 128 | – | 26 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1969 | "Touch 'Em with Love" b/w "She Knows What to Do for Me" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1969 | "Nothing Can Take the Place of You" b/w "Woman Without Love" | 74 | 67 | 11 | – | 68 | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1970 | "Rainy Night in Georgia" b/w "Where Do I Go from Here" | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | Brook Benton Today |
| 1970 | "My Way" b/w "A Little Bit of Soap" | 72 | 48 | 25 | 35 | 49 | – | Brook Benton Today |
| 1970 | "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" b/w "I've Gotta Be Me" (from Brook Benton Today) | 45 | 48 | 31 | 4 | 41 | – | Home Style |
| 1971 | "Shoes" b/w "Let Me Fix It" (from Home Style) | 67 | 52 | 18 | 18 | 83 | – | Story Teller |
| 1971 | "Heaven Help Us All" b/w "Whoever Finds This (I Love You)" (from Home Style) | – | 120 | – | – | – | – | The Gospel Truth |
| 1971 | "Take a Look at Your Hands" b/w "If You Think God Is Dead" | – | – | – | – | – | – | The Gospel Truth |
| 1971 | "Please Send Me Someone to Love" b/w "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Story Teller |
| 1971 | "A Black Child Can't Smile" b/w "If You Think God Is Dead" (from The Gospel Truth) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1971 | "Soul Santa" b/w "Let Us All Get Together with the Lord" (from The Gospel Truth) | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1972 | "Movin' Day" b/w "Poor Make Believer" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Story Teller |
| 1972 | "If You Got the Time" b/w "You Take Me Home Honey" | 104 | – | – | – | – | – | Something for Everyone |
| 1973 | "Lay Lady Lay" b/w "A Touch of Class" | – | 107 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1974 | "South Carolina" b/w "All That Love Went to Waste" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1976 | "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" b/w "Weekend with Feathers" | – | – | – | – | – | – | This Is Brook Benton |
| 1978 | "Making Love Is Good for You" b/w "Better Times" | – | – | 49 | – | – | – | Makin' Love Is Good for You |
| 1978 | "Soft" b/w "Glow Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Soft |
| "–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |||||||||