Solomon King

Solomon King, born Allen Verner Levy on 13 August 1930 in Lexington, Kentucky, was an American pop singer. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as a teenager and began his professional singing career in 1952 under the pseudonym Randy Leeds. His early records, such as "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die", did not achieve significant sales. However, his breakthrough came with his version of "She Wears My Ring" in 1968, which reached number three in the UK, also charting in 40 other countries. The song was written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant and was based on "La Golondrina" ("The Swallow") by Narciso Serradel Sevilla. That same year, his "When We Were Young" peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1970, he released "This Wonderful Day" under the name Levi Jackson, which achieved popularity on the Northern soul scene. He also had success with "When You've Gotta Go", written by Lynsey de Paul and Ron Roker, which charted in Australia and the Netherlands. Throughout his career, he collaborated with notable artists such as Billie Holiday and Elvis Presley's backing group, the Jordanaires. He continued performing in clubs after returning to the US in 1980. Solomon King died on 20 January 2005, at the age of 74, in Norman, Oklahoma.