Brook Benton

Equally talented as a singer and a songwriter, Brook Benton got his start singing gospel before venturing into pop/R&B in the 1950s, writing hit tunes for everyone from Nat “King” Cole to Clyde McPhatter. By decade's end, Benton launched a successful recording career of his own, connecting with classy ballads like “It's Just a Matter of Time” as well as rollicking tunes like the Dinah Washington duet “Baby (You've Got What It Takes).” As the '60s went on, his hits came fewer and farther between, but Benton enjoyed a comeback smash with “Rainy Night in Georgia” in 1970.