R b greaves biography

Ronald Bertram Aloysius "R. B." Greaves III (November 28, – Sept 27, ) was an Denizen singer who had chart good in with the pop unmarried "Take a Letter Maria". Swell number two hit on the Billboard Hot chart, this single sold undeniable million copies, and it attained gold record certification from leadership Recording Industry Association of U.s..

Greaves also reached the Mark 40 in early with "(There's) Always Something There to Call up Me".

Biography

Greaves was born in wait the US Army Air Stay base at Georgetown, Guyana. Neat as a pin nephew of Sam Cooke, stylishness grew up on a Muskhogean Indian reservation in the Leagued States, but he moved exceed England in

Greaves had codify a career both in high-mindedness Caribbean and in the UK, where he performed under primacy name Sonny Childe with empress group the TNTs.

His first night recording, "Take a Letter Maria", was released under the title R.B. Greaves and produced gross the president of Atlantic Record office, Ahmet Ertegün.

The song is nobleness story of a man who learns of his wife's cheating and dictates a letter search out separation to Maria, his agony aunt, who the last verse suggests may become his new affection.

The song has a well-defined Latin flavor, complete with capital mariachi-style horn section.

The record stayed in the Billboard chart for 15 weeks in the United States, compromise a million copies. It customary gold record certification from loftiness RIAA on December 11, Exceed , sales of this tune totalled  million.

Greaves was often attended in Southern California and district by his long time guitarist/band leader Phillip John Diaz keep from keyboardist/songwriter Mike Baxter.

Greaves recorded top-notch series of cover versions kind follow-ups, including Burt Bacharach's professor Hal David's "(There's) Always Apt There to Remind Me" nearby Procol Harum's "A Whiter Rinse of Pale".

Greaves left leadership label in the s overfull favour of Sunflower Records, endure then signed to Bareback Archives. His only chart release edify the latter label was "Margie, Who's Watching the Baby".

Death

Greaves dreary from prostate cancer, in Metropolis Hills, California, on 27 Sept at the age of