Don Covay was born on March 24, 1938 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. He was a composer, known for Frequency (2000), Sneakers (1992) and Rat Race (2001). He was married to Yvonne Darby. He died on January 31, 2015 in Franklin Square, New York, USA.
His career covered nearly the entire spectrum of rhythm-and-blues music, from doo-wop to funk. His songs were recorded by the Rolling Stones, Booker T and the MGs, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Steppenwolf, and the J Geils Band.
His father was a Baptist minister who died when Don was 8. His mother moved the family to Washington DC, where he formed a gospel group, the Cherry Keys, with his four siblings. He took "Don Covay" as a pen name when he started writing music.
Son of Helen Zimmerman Randolph.
Survived by his four children: Wendy Covay, Wanda Richardson, Ursula Covay Parkes, and Antonio Covay, three brothers: Eddie, Thomas, and Leroy Randolph, and five grandchildren. His son Donald, Jr. predeceased.