Don Covay, R&B songwriter, dies aged 76

Songwriter Don Covay, whose songs were performed by the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and others, has died aged 76. 

Covay scored a string of upbeat R&B hits and soulful ballads, for himself and others, throughout the 60s and 70s. His first, 1961’s Pony Time, became a No 1 for Chubby Checker, whereas the Rolling Stones featured his biggest hit, 1964’s Mercy Mercy, as the lead track on their 1965 album Out of Our Heads. Aretha Franklin recorded his song See Saw and reached No 2 with Chain of Fools, a song Covay had written with Otis Redding in mind.

Born Donald Randolph in South Carolina in 1938, Covay grew up performing with his family’s gospel quartet before forming the doo-wop group Rainbows. Covay went on to hone his craft in the famous Brill building in New York, where his songs were recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips and Wilson Pickett. Bobby Womack, Small Faces and Gene Vincent are among the other artists to have recorded Covay’s music.  

In 1966, now established as a songwriter, Covay formed the Soul Clan, an R&B supergroup featuring Solomon Burke, Ben E King, Joe Tex and Arthur Kingley. During the 1970s, Covay continued to have hits while working for the A&R department at Mercury Records. These included the 1973 song I Was Checkin’ Out, She Was Checkin’ In and 1975’s Rumble In the Jungle, inspired by the famous boxing clash between Muhammad Ali and George Forman.  

Covay’s daughter, Ursula Covay Parkes, confirmed the singer’s death. It is believed he was suffering from illnesses as a result of a stroke he had in 1992.