O.V. Wright -

O.V. Wright (Oct. 9, 1939 — Nov. 16, 1980) was an American soul singer who released nine studio albums between 1965 and 1981, scoring R&B hits with “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” “Eight Men, Four Women,” “Ace of Spades,” “A Nickel and a Nail,” and “Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose).”

Background

O.V. Wright was born Overton Vertis Wright on October 9, 1939, in Lenow, Tennessee, near Memphis. He began singing in church as a child. Wright joined the Sunset Travelers in 1956 as one of the gospel group’s lead singers while still a high-school student. The Sunset Travelers later recorded for Peacock Records under Houston label owner Don Robey. Wright also sang with the Harmony Echoes alongside James Carr.

Songwriter and manager Roosevelt Jamison encountered Wright through the Memphis gospel circuit and began working with him. Jamison brought Wright to Goldwax Records, where cofounders Quinton Claunch and Rudolph Russell recorded him on two Jamison compositions. Goldwax issued “There Goes My Used to Be” in June 1964 (b/w “That’s How Strong My Love Is”) under the billing O.V. Wright with the Keys.

Peacock owner Don Robey asserted that Wright remained contractually bound to Peacock through the Sunset Travelers. Goldwax retained distribution rights to the single while Robey moved Wright to the Back Beat subsidiary. Back Beat issued “Can’t Find True Love” in March 1965 (b/w “Don’t Want to Sit Down”), followed by “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” in June 1965 (b/w “Monkey Dog”). “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” reached No. 6 on the Billboard R&B chart and established Wright as a secular recording artist. Back Beat drew from Wright’s early singles and related recordings for his debut album, (If It Is) Only for Tonight.

Discography: