Don Covay

Donald James Randolph , better known as Don Covay, his stage name, was an American RampB, rock and roll and soul singer and songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s. His most successful recordings include Mercy, Mercy , SeeSaw , and Its Better to Have . He also wrote Pony Time, a US numberhit for Chubby Checker, and Chain of Fools, a Grammywinning song for Aretha Franklin. He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994.

Donald Randolph was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. His father, a Baptist preacher, died when Don was eight. Covay resettled in Washington, D.C., in the early 1950s and initially sang in the Cherry Keys, his familys gospel quartet. He crossed over to secular music as a member of the Rainbows, a group which also occasionally included Marvin Gaye and Billy Stewart, and made his first recordings with that group in 1956.

Source: Wikipedia