Robert Knight (musician)
| Robert Knight | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 24, 1945 |
| Origin | Franklin, Tennessee, US |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Dot Records, Monument Records |
Robert Knight (born April 24, 1945) is an American singer best known for the 1967 recording of the song "Everlasting Love".
Contents |
[edit] Career
Born in Franklin, Tennessee, Knight made his professional vocal debut with the Paramounts, a harmony quintet consisting of schoolfriends.[1] Signed to Dot Records in 1960, they recorded "Free Me" in 1961, a US R&B hit single that outsold a rival version by Johnny Preston.
After this initial success, their subsequent releases flopped, resulting in a breakup of the group. They also broke their recording contract with Dot and were prevented from recording for 4 1⁄2 years.[1] Knight continued his studies in chemistry at Tennessee State University, where he formed the vocal trio the Fairlanes.[1]
In 1967, Knight was spotted performing with the Fairlanes in Nashville, Tennessee, and was offered a contract as a solo artist by the Rising Sons label.[1] His first recording, "Everlasting Love", written by label owners Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, was an immediate success, reaching number 14 on the US R&B chart and 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. This enduring song was an even bigger success in the UK the following year when a version by Love Affair reached No. 1, ironically preventing Knight's version from progressing further than No. 40 there.[2]
Knight scored two further pop hits at home, "Blessed Are The Lonely" and "Isn't It Lonely Together".[1] In 1973, he hit the UK Singles Chart again with "Love On A Mountain Top",[2] also written by Cason and Gayden, whilst the re-issued "Everlasting Love" went even higher in the UK the following year, reaching the Top 20.[2]
"Everlasting Love" has been revived as a hit status several times over the years, including versions by Carl Carlton in 1974, as a duet by Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet in 1981, and by Gloria Estefan in 1995.[1] In the UK, the issues of "Everlasting Love" by CBS represent the only time that there have been as many as three chart versions of a song from the same record company.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Allmusic.com biography by Jason Ankeny
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 306. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
