R.B. Greaves, the Motown singer who hit the top of the charts with the soulful, Latin-tinged hit “Take a Letter, Maria,” has died at age 68 in Los Angeles. The song, which was released with some controversy, was about a man who began by dictating to his secretary a letter about his cheating wife, and developed into a romantic note from the boss to his secretary.
Greaves began his career as a singer in the group Sonny Childe & the TNTs in the UK. He signed with the Atco label and scored immediately with “Maria.” Unfortunately, he became a “one-hit wonder,” barely charting the the follow up, a cover of the Dionne Warwick hit “Always Something There To Remind Me.” He never again had a hit, despite recording albums throughout the 70s.
While Greaves was known by most for one hit, that hit continues to be popular more that four decades after its release. He will be missed.
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