Don Bryant | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Donald Maurice Bryant |
| Born | (1942-04-04)April 4, 1942 (age 83) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Hi Records Fat Possum Records |
Donald Maurice Bryant (born April 4, 1942) is an Americanrhythm and blues singer and songwriter.[1]
Bryant was born inMemphis,Tennessee, United States, the fifth of ten children.[2] He began singing in church at age five, and soon joined his father's family vocal group.[3] He eventually formed a gospel quartet for a high school radio show, finding success singing secular pop songs on Dick “Cane” Cole’s popularWLOK show.[3] The quartet, performing as The Four Kings, would part with Cole to become the front band forWillie Mitchell, with Bryant as the lead singer.[4]
In 1960, the still teenage Bryant was offered a shot at songwriting, penning “I Got To Know” forThe 5 Royales. He wrote material for other artists at Hi Records while continuing to record with The Four Kings and as a solo artist, resulting in a 1969 solo album.[3] However, with the success ofAl Green,Otis Clay, and other vocalists at Hi, Bryant’s singing career took a backseat to writing, joining Earl Randle, Dan Greer, and Darryl Carter as Hi's top staff writers. Bryant is credited on as many as 154 titles.
By 1970, Willie Mitchell had begun to pair Bryant with his newest act, a youngAnn Peebles, for whom he wrote "99 Pounds" and "Do I Need You."[3] The pair co-wrote the Top 40 hit "I Can't Stand the Rain" in 1973, and were married the following year.[3] Bryant spent much of the subsequent decade writing and opening for Peebles, with his final Hi single coming in 1981, a duet with his wife called "Mon Belle-Amour."[3]
Bryant focused mainly on gospel albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s,[3] and ultimately stopped performing altogether outside of church services.[5][6]
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Following a conversation between producerScott Bomar and former Hi Records drummerHoward Grimes, Bryant was invited to perform as a vocalist with Memphis-based soul homage outfitThe Bo-Keys. After some convincing from Grimes, Bryant accepted and, within a few months, found the inspiration to return to the studio. Bryant and The Bo-Keys recordedDon’t Give Up on Love in the fall of 2016, which was released on theFat Possum label in 2017. The album features an array of Bryant’s past triumphs as well as new material.[7]In 2020, Bryant and the Bo-Keys collaborated again on the Fat Possum Records releaseYou Make Me Feel which was nominated for aGrammy Award.[8]
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