Sol Raye
Encyclopedia
Neville Marshall-Corbin was a Guyanese
cabaret
singer, composer and recording artist who moved to England
in the 1960s and originally studied acting, performing with the English Stage Company. He was born in Christianburg, Guyana.
His singing style was reflective of Nat 'King' Cole. A nine-time winner of the British TV talent contest Opportunity Knocks (UK TV series), he recorded such popular songs as "Mona Lisa
", "How Sweet It Is", and "Come Home Love".
He was best known for the semi-regular role of Burt in the Black British
sitcom Desmonds, as a member of The Georgetown Dreamers, a band that featured Desmond (Norman Beaton
) and Raye's fellow real-life musicians Porkpie (Ram John Holder
) and Vince (Count Prince Miller
).
Raye performed several cabaret tributes to Nat Cole and also produced and directed the 1985 TV tribute to Cole entitled "A Nightingale Sang". He was also an opening act for such performers as The Supremes
and Eartha Kitt
.
His younger brother, Robert Corbin
, is the current leader of the Peoples National Congress Reform
(PNCR), the main Guyanese opposition political party.
Raye died in London
, England on Friday, March 31, 2006 of prostate cancer
.
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
singer, composer and recording artist who moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1960s and originally studied acting, performing with the English Stage Company. He was born in Christianburg, Guyana.
His singing style was reflective of Nat 'King' Cole. A nine-time winner of the British TV talent contest Opportunity Knocks (UK TV series), he recorded such popular songs as "Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole song)
"Mona Lisa" is a song written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures film Captain Carey, U.S.A. . It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1950. The arrangement was by Nelson Riddle and the orchestral backing was played by Les Baxter and his Orchestra...
", "How Sweet It Is", and "Come Home Love".
He was best known for the semi-regular role of Burt in the Black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
sitcom Desmonds, as a member of The Georgetown Dreamers, a band that featured Desmond (Norman Beaton
Norman Beaton
Norman Lugard Beaton was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom....
) and Raye's fellow real-life musicians Porkpie (Ram John Holder
Ram John Holder
Ram John Holder is a British actor. He began his performing career as a folk singer in New York. In 1962 he came to London and worked with Pearl Connor's Negro Theatre Workshop initially as a musician, and later as an actor...
) and Vince (Count Prince Miller
Count Prince Miller
Count Prince Miller is a Jamaican-born, British-based actor and musician.-Biography:...
).
Raye performed several cabaret tributes to Nat Cole and also produced and directed the 1985 TV tribute to Cole entitled "A Nightingale Sang". He was also an opening act for such performers as The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
.
His younger brother, Robert Corbin
Robert Corbin
Robert Herman Orlando Corbin is a Guyanese politician who is the leader of the opposition People's National Congress .Born in Linden, Guyana, Corbin worked for the Youth Ministry of the Presbyterian Church before being educated in social work and law at the University of Guyana and the Hugh Wooding...
, is the current leader of the Peoples National Congress Reform
People's National Congress
The People's National Congress is a socialist political party in Guyana led by Robert Corbin. The party currently holds 22 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly.-History:...
(PNCR), the main Guyanese opposition political party.
Raye died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England on Friday, March 31, 2006 of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.