Solomon King
Encyclopedia
Solomon King was a 1960s and 1970s popular music
singer. He is best remembered for his 1968 hit single
, "She Wears My Ring
".
, Kentucky
, as a teenager he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
, and was offered a scholarship to study Cantatorial Music by Jan Peerce. He first started singing professionally in 1952. His first pseudonym, Randy Leeds, seemed uninspired and his records
such as "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" did not sell. King was the first white
singer taken on tour by Billie Holiday
, as well working with Elvis Presley
's backing group the Jordanaires, who he used as his own backing group when recording his first version of "She Wears My Ring
" in Nashville, Tennessee
.
After marrying Canadian
journalist
Henny Lowy in 1960, King spent twenty years living in Bolton
, England
, where the couple had four children. King's chart
success in the UK
began with "She Wears My Ring", which was a top three hit
there in 1968, and was also a hit in 40 other countries, but failed to reach the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
chart
. "She Wears My Ring", based on La Golondrina ("The Swallow)" by the Mexican
composer
Narciso Serradel Sevilla, was written by the Nashville husband and wife team, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. Also in 1968, "When We Were Young" was a #21 hit in the UK Singles Chart
. In 1972, he released the single "When You've Gotta Go", written by Lynsey de Paul
and Ron Roker
on the Polydor label and it became a radio hit.
At 6 ft 8 inches tall, some TV
interviewers refused to have him on their shows unless he sat down.
After his marriage
to Lowy ended in 1980 he moved back to the US
, where he wed a further two times. King continued singing in clubs
in the US.
King died in Norman, Oklahoma
of cancer
, on January 21, 2005, at the age of 74.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
singer. He is best remembered for his 1968 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "She Wears My Ring
She Wears My Ring
She Wears My Ring is a song by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Solomon King.The original song La Golondrina is a mexican song and was composed by Narciso Serradel Sevilla....
".
Biography
Born Allen V. Levy in LexingtonLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, as a teenager he attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
The University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music is the performing arts college of the University of Cincinnati and is one of the nation's leading music conservatories. In its most recent rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cincinnati sixth nationally among university programs...
, and was offered a scholarship to study Cantatorial Music by Jan Peerce. He first started singing professionally in 1952. His first pseudonym, Randy Leeds, seemed uninspired and his records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
such as "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" did not sell. King was the first white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
singer taken on tour by Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
, as well working with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's backing group the Jordanaires, who he used as his own backing group when recording his first version of "She Wears My Ring
She Wears My Ring
She Wears My Ring is a song by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Solomon King.The original song La Golondrina is a mexican song and was composed by Narciso Serradel Sevilla....
" in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
After marrying Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Henny Lowy in 1960, King spent twenty years living in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, 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...
, where the couple had four children. King's chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
began with "She Wears My Ring", which was a top three hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
there in 1968, and was also a hit in 40 other countries, but failed to reach the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "She Wears My Ring", based on La Golondrina ("The Swallow)" by the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Narciso Serradel Sevilla, was written by the Nashville husband and wife team, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. Also in 1968, "When We Were Young" was a #21 hit in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In 1972, he released the single "When You've Gotta Go", written by Lynsey de Paul
Lynsey De Paul
Lynsey de Paul is an English singer-songwriter. Allmusic journalist, Craig Harris stated, "one of the first successful female singer-songwriters in England, de Paul has had an illustrious career".-Early life:De Paul was born to Meta and Herbert Rubin, a property developer...
and Ron Roker
Ron Roker
Ron Roker is an English songwriter and singer.-Career:Roker first worked as a song-plugger. His first taste of chart success was provided by the theme music to children's TV programme The Adventures of Rupert Bear. The song "Rupert", co-written with Len Beadle and recorded by Beadle's wife Jackie...
on the Polydor label and it became a radio hit.
At 6 ft 8 inches tall, some TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
interviewers refused to have him on their shows unless he sat down.
After his marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to Lowy ended in 1980 he moved back to the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he wed a further two times. King continued singing in clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in the US.
King died in Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, on January 21, 2005, at the age of 74.