Solomon King

Solomon King (born Allen Levy, 1932, Lexington, Kentucky - died 21 January 2005), was a 1960s and 1970s popular music singer.

As a teenager he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and was offered a scholarship to study Cantatorial Music by Jan Peerce. King was the first white singer ever taken on tour by blues legend Billie Holiday, as well working with Elvis Presley's backing group [jordanaires [The Jordanaires who he used as his own backing group when recording the first version of 'She Wears My Ring' in Nashville, Tennessee. He first started singing professionally in 1952. His first pseudonym, Randy Leeds, was uninspired and his records such as "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" did not sell.

After marrying Canadian journalist Henny Lowy in 1960, King spent 20 years living in Manchester, England - the couple had four children. King's chart success in the UK began with "She Wears My Ring", which was a top five hit in 1967, but only reached No. 117 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. "She Wears My Ring", based on La Golondrina ("The Swallow)" by the Mexican composer Narciso Serradel Sevilla, was written by the Nashville, Tennessee husband and wife team Boudleaux and Felice Bryant.

"When We Were Young" was a hit the following year in the UK. At 6 ft 8 in it is said some TV interviewers refused to have him on their shows unless he sat down cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4196027.stm |title=US singer Solomon King dies at 73 |work=BBC News |date=2005-01-21 |accessdate=2007-03-31]

After his marriage to Lowy ended in 1980 he moved back to the U.S., where he wed a further two times. King continued singing in clubs in the U.S. on his return.

He died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma of cancer, on Friday 21 January 2005.

References

External links

*