Don Covay

Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s.

His most successful recordings include "Mercy, Mercy" (1964), "See-Saw" (1965), and "It's Better to Have (and Don't Need)" (1974). He also wrote "Pony Time", a US number 1 hit for Chubby Checker, and "Chain of Fools", a Grammy-winning song for Aretha Franklin. He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994.

Writing in the Washington Post after his death, Terence McArdle said, "Mr. Covay’s career traversed nearly the entire spectrum of rhythm-and-blues music, from doo-wop to funk."

Birth and Death Data: Born March 23, 1938 (Orangeburg (city in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States)), Died January 30, 2015 (Franklin Square (census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1957 - 1967

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, arranger, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Atlantic 2491 10-in. March, 1957 Paper dollar Pretty Boy vocalist  
Atlantic 2492 10-in. March, 1957 Bip bop bip Pretty Boy vocalist  
Decca 119521 10/25/1967 Try some of mine-1 Little Richard arranger  
Decca 119522 10/25/1967 She's together Little Richard arranger, composer, lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Covay, Don," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/310028.

Covay, Don. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/310028.

"Covay, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/310028

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