Artist:Robert KnightSong:Everlasting Love
Album:Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970
A couple of months ago I featured the best known version of Everlasting Love by Carl Carlton. But this original 1967 version was a top 20 pop hit for Nashville soul singer Robert Knight. Unfortunately it was his only hit. He was born Apr. 24, 1945 in Franklin, TN. He started out in the early 60s with The Paramounts. They signed with Dot Records and had an R & B chart hit with Free Me in 1961. When subsequent singles flopped, they split up and were sued for breach of contract. This kept Knight on the sidelines for several years so he studied chemistry at Tennessee State University. While attending school, he formed The Fairlanes. He was spotted by producer Buzz Cason and Monument Records owner Fred Foster. Cason was starting a new label Rising Sons with songwriting partner Mac Gayden to be distributed by Monument. Cason says Everlasting Love was intended as the B-side for The Weeper. But after recording Everlasting Love, Cason and Gayden changed their minds and made Everlasting Love the A-side. The song reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's a great piece of 60s soul. Knight's album and other recordings went nowhere. You can get Knight's recordings on CD but this 2CD various artists comp celebrating the history of Nashville R & B is a must for R & B fans. Of course Everlasting Love was a top ten hit for Carl Carlton in 1974 and also charted for Rachel Sweet & Rex Smith in 1981 and Gloria Estefan in 1995. The songwriters have made a lot of money. Robert Knight still performs occasionally but is currently a chemical researcher at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Here's a video for Everlasting Love by Robert Knight.
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