Robert Knight | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert Henry Peebles |
Born | Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. | April 21, 1940
Died | November 5, 2017 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | (aged 77)
Genres | Soul, pop |
Occupations | Singer |
Years active | 1961–2017 |
Labels | Dot, Monument |
Robert Knight (born Robert Henry Peebles; [1] April 21, 1940 [2] – November 5, 2017) was an American singer, best known for his 1967 recording of the song " Everlasting Love".
Robert Peebles was born in Franklin, Tennessee, United States, in 1940 according to family and official records, [2] though some sources give the year 1945. [3] As Robert Knight, he made his professional vocal debut with the Paramounts, a quintet consisting of school friends. [3] Signed to Dot Records in 1960, they recorded "Free Me" in 1961, a US R&B hit single that outsold a rival version by Johnny Preston.
After this initial success, their subsequent releases flopped, resulting in a breakup of the group. They also broke their recording contract with Dot and were prevented from recording for 4+1⁄2 years. [3] Knight attended Tennessee State University, where he studied chemistry and sang with the Fairlanes, a vocal trio. [3]
In 1967, after Knight was seen performing with the Fairlanes in Nashville at a Vanderbilt University fraternity, he was offered a contract as a solo artist by the Rising Sons label. [3] His first recording, " Everlasting Love", written by label owners Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, was a success, reaching number 14 on the US R&B chart and number 13 on the Hot 100 on 18-25 November 1967. This enduring song was an even bigger success in the UK the following year when a version by Love Affair reached number 1, preventing Knight's version from progressing further than No. 40. [4]
Knight scored two further pop hits at home, "Blessed Are the Lonely" and "Isn't It Lonely Together". [3] In 1973/1974, thanks to heavy rotation by Northern soul music admiring deejays he hit the UK Singles Chart again with the re-issue of his late 1968 recording " Love on a Mountain Top", reaching number 10 in early 1974 in the UK Singles Chart. [4] The song was also written by Cason and Gayden. The re-issued "Everlasting Love" went even higher in the UK in 1974, reaching the Top 20, [4] and Carl Carlton's version peaked at number 6 on the Hot 100 on 23-30 November 1974, seven years to the week after Knight's version peaked. His final UK chart record was "Better Get Ready for Love" which reached number 53 in May 1974. [5]
He also worked for Vanderbilt University as a chemical lab technician, [6] a chemistry teacher, and a member of the grounds crew. [7]
Knight died at home in Nashville, Tennessee, aged 77, [8] [9] 13 days before the 50-year anniversary of the first week of the Hot 100 peak date of his version of "Everlasting Love".
Year | Album |
US Pop [10] | |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Everlasting Love | 196 | |
1971 | Love on a Mountain Top (UK only) | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Pop [11] |
US R&B [12] |
UK [13] |
CAN | ||
1967 | " Everlasting Love" | 13 | 14 | 40 | 26 |
1968 | "Blessed Are the Lonely" | 97 | — | — | — |
"Isn't It Lonely Together" | 97 | — | — | 85 | |
1970 | " I Only Have Eyes for You" | — | — | — | — |
1973 | " Love on a Mountain Top" | — | — | 10 | — |
1974 | "Everlasting Love" (reissue) | — | — | 19 | — |
"Better Get Ready for Love" | — | — | 53 [A] | — | |
"The Outsider" | — | — | — | — | |
1975 | "I'm Coming Home to You" | — | — | — | — |
1976 | "I've Got News for You" | — | — | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |