William DeVaughn
| William DeVaughn | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Edward DeVaughn Jr. |
| Born |
November 28, 1947 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1972-2008 |
| Labels | Roxbury Records Mighty Two Diamond Records |
| Associated acts | MFSB |
William Edward DeVaughn Jr. (born November 28, 1947, in Washington, D.C.) is an American R&B/soul singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for the million-selling hit song "Be Thankful for What You Got" in 1974.
DeVaughn was a salaried government employee as a drafting technician, and a part-time singer. He wrote a song called "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", which was eventually re-written to become "Be Thankful for What You Got", in 1972. He spent $900 towards getting it recorded with Omega Sound, a Philadelphia production house. The record's producer at Omega, John Davis (a member of the MFSB studio session group), came up with a smooth arrangement, eventually booking time to record at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, used by Philadelphia International Records. Studio owner and chief engineer Joe Tarsia recorded and mixed the track.
The session featured members of the MFSB group — guitarists Norman Harris and Bobby Eli, drummer Earl Young, vibraphonist Vince Montana and percussionist Larry Washington; secured by Allan Felder, who also developed the separate ad-lib back-up chorus with his sister's vocal group. John Davis played keyboards on the track. Frank Fioravanti, the executive producer and co-ordinator, secured the song's release on Roxbury Records, a subsidiary of Chelsea Records, run by industry veteran Wes Farrell.
The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching #1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track saw two chart entries in the UK, with the record peaking at #31 (1974) and also #44 (1980), in the UK Singles Chart. It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on May 31, 1974. With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job.
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