He eventually released his first minor hit, 'A Million Miles from Nowhere', before switching to the Mercury label, which would eventually bring him major success. He wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter (for whom he co-wrote the hit ' A Lover's Question') and Roy Hamilton. īrook earned a good living by writing songs and co-producing albums. The Sandmen had limited success and their label, Okeh Records, decided to push Peay as a solo artist, changing his name to Brook Benton, apparently at the suggestion of label executive Marv Halsman. Returning to his home state, he joined an R&B singing group, The Sandmen, and went back to New York to get a big break with his group. In 1948, he went to New York to pursue his music career, going in and out of gospel groups, such as The Langfordaires, The Jerusalem Stars and The Golden Gate Quartet. When Benton was young, he enjoyed gospel music, wrote songs and sang in a Methodist church choir in Lugoff, South Carolina, where his father, Willie Peay, was choir master.

He made a comeback in 1970 with the ballad ' Rainy Night in Georgia.' Benton scored over 50 Billboard chart hits as an artist, and also wrote hits for other performers.

Benjamin Franklin Peay (Septem– April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with hits such as ' It's Just a Matter of Time' and ' Endlessly', many of which he co-wrote.

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