After some suspect info floating around teh internet, it’s been confirmed that R&B great Don Covay has died. The cause was stroke-related complications; he was 76.
Like most of the ’50/60s R&B/soul greats, Covay began his career singing gospel. His first secular gig was with vocal group, the Rainbows. His time with the Rainbows lasted a year, till sometime in 1957, when he hooked up with Little Richard‘s Revue; he was the warm-up act—Covay was called “Pretty Boy.” The gig earned him a single and his first writer credit, an R&B screamer, “Bip Bop Bip!” After he left Little Richard he recorded a string of of 45s for a handful of labels, (mostly) as Don Covay & The Goodtimers. Sadly, none of ’em charted except for “Pony Time.” However, “Pony Time” would later hit number one when sung by the twister Chubby Checker.
In 1962, after Covay was signed as a (Brill Building) songwriter, his fortunes turned—his songs in other singer’s hands turned all kindsa gold and platinum! Um, in 1968 his song “Chain of Fools” was recorded by Ms. Aretha Franklin and was awarded a Grammy!
Anyway, while he was writing songs for other folks, he continued to make solo records. Only a couple charted, but his mid-’60s run of 45s for Atlantic was deeply relevant to the teen/longhair/pop explosion of the time. Just consider his HEAVY groover, “Sookie Sookie.” Steppenwolf covered the song, but couldn’t better it, even as they sunglasses and mustached it up! I reckon rock bands lookin’ to find a stone(d) groove were rendered POWERLESS against his “Sookie Sookie!”
At the tail end of the ’60s, Covay began recording as Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band. They were tied to the times and played blues, some funky soul, plus a West Coast-style rural jam or two. In the early ’70s, he began working for Mercury, in the A&R department, and recorded a soul album, Superdude, and then a sweaty funk record, Hot Blood (which included the bumpin’ “Rumble in the Jungle“). At the end of the ’70s, Covay recorded sporadically, a couple singles and an LP for Philadelphia International Records, and, by 1980, he’d mostly quit music. Then, in 1992, he suffered a stroke that had sidelined him since.
Looking back at Covay’s catalog, it’s easy to see he was another undeniable architect, not just of soul and funk, but of ’60s rock and roll, as well; everybody played his songs.