O. V. Wright facts for kids

Overton Vertis "O. V." Wright (born October 9, 1939 – died November 16, 1980) was an American singer. He is known as a blues artist, especially in the Southern United States. He is also seen as one of the most important and unique Southern soul singers. Some of his most famous songs include "That's How Strong My Love Is" (1964), "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" (1965), "A Nickel and a Nail" (1971), and "Ace of Spades" (1971).

The Life and Music of O.V. Wright

O.V. Wright was born in Lenow, Tennessee. He started singing in church when he was very young. In 1956, while still in high school, he joined a gospel group called The Sunset Travelers. He was one of their main singers. Later, he led another gospel group called the Harmony Echoes.

Starting a Music Career

During his time with the Harmony Echoes, O.V. Wright was discovered by Roosevelt Jamison. Jamison was a songwriter and manager. Wright's first pop song was "That's How Strong My Love Is" in 1964. This song became very popular. Other famous artists like Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones later sang their own versions of it.

Wright first signed with the Goldwax record label. However, it was found that he still had a contract with Don Robey's Peacock label from his gospel days. So, his contract was moved to Don Robey's Back Beat label. After this, he had more R&B hit songs. He worked with record producer Willie Mitchell. Together, they created successful songs like "Ace of Spades" and "A Nickel and a Nail".

O.V. Wright's Hit Songs

O.V. Wright's songs were very popular, especially in the Southern United States. His biggest hits included:

• "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" (which reached number 6 on the R&B chart in 1965)
• "Eight Men, Four Women" (which reached number 4 on the R&B chart in 1967)
• "Ace of Spades" (which reached number 11 on the R&B chart in 1970)
• "A Nickel and a Nail" (which reached number 19 on the R&B chart in 1971)

He had 17 songs that made it onto the R&B charts.

O.V. Wright's Lasting Impact

O.V. Wright is remembered as one of the most important voices in soul music. His songs are often used in hip hop music. This is called "sampling."

Songs Used in Hip Hop

In 1996, his song "Motherless Child" was sampled on the Ghostface Killah album Ironman. It was also used on the Sunset Park movie soundtrack. Another one of his songs, "Let's Straighten It Out", was featured on Shaolin Soul. This album is a collection of songs sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan and its members. "Let's Straighten It Out" was also sampled in a Wu-Tang Clan song called "America." This song was part of a charity album called America Is Dying Slowly. The song "Ace of Spades" was sampled by Slim Thug and the Boss Hogg Outlawz in their song "Recognize A Playa."

Influence on Other Artists

O.V. Wright has had a big influence on many soul and blues singers. These include artists like Robert Cray, Otis Clay, and Taj Mahal. Young soul singer Reggie Sears has also been inspired by him.

The O.V. Wright Band Continues

Johnny Rawls joined O.V. Wright's band in the mid-1970s. He played with Wright until Wright's death in 1980. After Wright passed away, the band continued to perform for 13 more years. They were known as the O.V. Wright Band. They toured and played with other famous musicians. These musicians included B.B. King, Little Milton, Bobby Bland, Little Johnny Taylor, and Blues Boy Willie.

O.V. Wright's Music Collection

Albums

• 1965: (If It Is) Only For Tonight (Back Beat Records)
• 1967: 8 Men And 4 Women (Back Beat Records)
• 1968: Nucleus of Soul (Back Beat Records)
• 1971: A Nickel and a Nail And Ace of Spades (Back Beat Records)
• 1973: Memphis Unlimited (Back Beat Records)
• 1977: Into Something I Can't Shake Loose (Hi Records)
• 1977: The Wright Stuff (Hi Records)
• 1978: The Bottom Line (Hi Records)
• 1979: O.V. Wright Live (Hi Records)
• 1979: We're Still Together (Hi Records)

Chart singles