Billy Vera

Born William McCord, Jr. on May 28, 1944 in Riverside, CA, Billy Vera has functioned as both a chronicler of rock and a participant who shaped its trajectory across the past twenty-five years. In the mid-'60s he supplied material to performers such as Barbara Lewis and Rick Nelson, then teamed with Judy Clay for the 1967 Atlantic release "Storybook Children," an R&B duet that registered as a substantial success. The pair repeated that achievement the following year with "Country Girl - City Man." Vera reemerged in a solo capacity during 1987 after Rhino placed "At This Moment," a track he had recorded six years earlier with his group the Beaters, on the Family Ties soundtrack, where it ascended to the top of the pop listings. More recently he resumed the duet format alongside Nona Hendryx, the former Labelle vocalist, on the Shanachie single "You Have to Cry Sometime." Beyond those activities, Vera has selected and annotated numerous CD reissues, among them the Legends of Specialty collection.