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Memphis soul veteran Don Bryant has died, his family announced Friday, Dec. 26. He was 83.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon loved sharing his music and songs with all of you and it gave him such great joy to perform and record new music,\u201d Bryant\u2019s family said in a statement shared on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cHe was so appreciative of everyone who was part of his musical journey and who supported him along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n More from Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/p>\n The Memphis-based artist originally struck out as a solo artist in the Sixties, releasing a lone album, Precious Soul<\/em>, in 1969. The following decade, he pivoted to songwriting, working at Memphis\u2019 Hi Records, which was home to artists like Al Green and O. V. Wright. \u201cI wanted to be a part of it,\u201d Bryant told Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a> in 2017. \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t gonna be the singing, I was content with trying to do the writing.\u201d<\/p>\n Bryant was credited on hundreds of songs, writing tracks that were cut by Solomon Burke, Etta James, Otis Clay, and Albert King.\u00a0But Bryant he was perhaps best known for the string of hits he wrote for his wife, fellow Hi Records artist Ann Peebles, including \u201c99 Pounds\u201d and the Grammy-nominated \u201cI Can\u2019t Stand the Rain\u201d in 1973.<\/p>\n The title of the latter track was inspired by an offhand quip from Peebles during one particularly heavy downpour. \u201cAt the time, there were a lot of records about the rain, but everyone was wanting the rain, trying to hide their tears,\u201d Bryant told Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cI Can\u2019t Stand the Rain\u201d would peak at Number 38 on the Billboard <\/em>Hot 100 and would go on to be covered and sampled by the likes of Tina Turner, Seal, Missy Elliott, and Kaytranada.<\/p>\n Bryant largely devoted himself to Peebles\u2019 career, only returning to the stage as a solo artist after she suffered a stroke in 2012 and stepped away from music professionally. With his wife\u2019s encouragement, Bryant released his first album in nearly 50 years, the critically acclaimed Don\u2019t Give Up on Love<\/em> in 2017, followed by You Make Me Feel<\/em> in 2020.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMusic is one of my greatest loves,\u201d Bryant told Rolling Stone<\/em> in 2020. \u201cWhen I can concentrate on that, I can take my mind off everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Best of Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for RollingStone’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n