Don Covay

Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s.

His most successful recordings include “Mercy, Mercy” (1964), “See-Saw” (1965), and “It’s Better to Have (and Don’t Need)” (1974). He also wrote “Pony Time”, a US number 1 hit for Chubby Checker, and “Chain of Fools”, a Grammy-winning song for Aretha Franklin. He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994.

Writing in the Washington Post after his death, Terence McArdle said, “Mr. Covay’s career traversed nearly the entire spectrum of rhythm-and-blues music, from doo-wop to funk.”

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