O. V. Wright

Wright worked between 1939 and 1980 across singer, pianist, musician and guitarist. The registers place that work in soul. This article rests on 16 catalogued compositions, 35 issued recordings, 1 digitised documents and 43 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — O.V. Wright • Birth Name — Overton Vertis Wright • Born — 9 October 1939 • Birthplace — Lenow, Shelby County, Tennessee, U.S. • Died — 16 November 1980 • Place of death — Mobile, Alabama, U.S. • Genre — R&B, soul, funk, deep soul, soul blues • Instrument — Vocals, guitar, drums, piano/keyboards • Occupation — Singer-songwriter, musician, producer, instrumentalist, sideman • Years Active — 1964–1980 • Label — Back Beat Records, Hi

Born in Lenow, Tennessee, Wright began singing in the church as a youngster. In 1956, while still in high school, he joined The Sunset Travelers as one of the lead singers of the gospel group. He later fronted a gospel music group, the Harmony Echoes. It was during this time that he was discovered (along with James Carr) by Roosevelt Jamison, a songwriter and manager. Their first pop recording in 1964 was "That's How Strong My Love Is," a ballad later covered by Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones. It was issued on Goldwax, the label Wright signed to after leaving his gospel career. It was later determined that Don Robey still had him under a recording contract, due to his gospel group having recorded for Peacock. After his contract was shifted to Don Robey's Back Beat label, further R&B hits followed. Working with record producer Willie Mitchell, success continued on songs including "Ace of Spades" and "A Nickel and a Nail". Wright's hits were much more popular in the deep South. His biggest hits were "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" (R&B No. 6, 1965), "Eight Men, Four Women" (R&B No. 4, 1967) "Ace of Spades" (R&B No. 11, 1970), "A Nickel and a Nail" (R&B No. 19, 1971). The remainder of his 17 hits charted no higher than No. 20 on the R&B chart. Wright was imprisoned for narcotics offenses during the mid-1970s, and, despite a new recording contract with Hi Records that led to a series of new album releases, commercial success did not follow his release from incarceration. Wright continued to battle drug addiction in the last years of his life, and in November 16, 1980, he died from a heart attack in Mobile, Alabama, at the age of 41, while performing at Joe’s Supper Club in Grand Bay, Alabama. In 2008 the "OV Wright Memorial Fund" purchased and installed a headstone for his previously unmarked grave.

• 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) • 1972: A Nickel and a Nail -and- Ace of Spades (Back Beat Records) • 1973: Memphis Unlimited (Back Beat Records) • 1977: Into Something (Can't Shake Loose) (Hi Records) • 1978: The Bottom Line (Hi Records) • 1979: We're Still Together (Hi Records) • 1980: O.V. Wright Live (Hi Records) recorded 1979

• Year — Single — Chart Positions • US Pop — US R&B • | 1965 — "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" — 86 — 6 • 1967 — "Eight Men, Four Women" — 80 — 4 • "Heartaches, Heartaches" — – — 25 • "What About You" — – — 46 • | 1968 — "Oh Baby Mine" — – — 36 • | 1969 — "I'll Take Care of You" — – — 43 • 1970 — "Love the Way You Love" — – — 48 • "Ace of Spades" — 54 — 11 • 1971 — "When You Took Your Love from Me" — – — 21 • "A Nickel and a Nail" — – — 19 • | 1973 — "I'd Rather Be (Blind, Crippled and Crazy)" — – — 33 • | 1974 — "I've Been Searching" — – — 62 • | 1975 — "What More Can I Do (To Prove My Love for You)" — – — 82 • | 1976 — "Rhymes" — – — 87 • | 1977 — "Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)" — – — 43 • 1978 — "Precious, Precious" — – — 50 • "I Don't Do Windows" — – — 91

What the record establishes about O. Wright is recorded as a citizen of United States. Wright is recorded with the occupation guitarist. Wright is recorded with the occupation musician. Wright is recorded with the occupation pianist. Wright is recorded with the occupation singer. Wright is classed in the genre soul.