Brook Benton was a magnificent singer who could handle handle anything from blues, jazz and soul to country, pop and standards. His version of Tony Joe White’s ‘Rainy Night In Georgia’ - an international smash in 1970 - remains a timeless classic.
The biographical part of the book by Herwig Gradischnig is based on an album of newspaper cuttings personally compiled by Brook. These contain the singer’s views on a wide variety of topics, as well as reviews of his work. Personal interviews conducted in the USA with members of Brook’s family have also been included. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to detailed discussion of Brook Benton’s recordings and analysis of his distinctive vocal style.
The exhaustive discography compiled by Hans Maitner identifies over 660 known recordings by Benton. In this, it far surpasses all others published to date, which generally account for only around 300.