Charles Kindred Vassy (August 16, 1943 – June 23, 1994) was a singer-songwriter, who in addition to his solo recordings also recorded with other artists, most notably

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

, Frank Zappa and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. In the 1960s, Vassy was a member of

The Back Porch Majority The Back Porch Majority was an American folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1963. It was intended to be a rehearsal space for The New Christy Minstrels, another group Sparks had established in 1961, but it ended up becoming successful o ...

. He left that group in 1969 and joined the country rock band

Kenny Rogers and The First Edition Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, until 1970 billed as The First Edition, were an American rock band. The band's style was difficult to singularly classify, as it incorporated elements of country, rock and psychedelic pop. Its stalwart memb ...

. As a member of the group he recorded a top 30 album — '' Something's Burning'' — and one of his own songs "Heed The Call" became a top 40 hit in 1970. He performed lead vocal on the group's 1972 single "School Teacher". In 1973, he sang the "Yipee-Yi-Yo-Ty-Yay's" on the outro of Frank Zappa's single "

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

" from the "

Over-Nite Sensation ''Over-Nite Sensation'' is the ninth studio album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, released in September 1973. It was followed by Zappa's solo album ''Apostrophe (')'' (1974), which was recorded during the same sessions. Recording ...

" album. Vassy left the First Edition in 1972 after ''

The Ballad of Calico ''The Ballad of Calico'' is the eighth studio album by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition and released as Reprise Records 6476. It reached No. 118 on the albums chart and produced one single, "School Teacher", which reached No. 91. The double alb ...

'' album and was replaced by Jimmy Hassell. He went on to work on both a solo career and as a session musician. In 1980, Vassy released two singles for the International Artists (IA) record label: "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" and "Makes Me Wonder If I Ever Said Goodbye." He moved to the Liberty Records label and released seven singles on it, including

Earl Thomas Conley Earl Thomas Conley (October 17, 1941 – April 10, 2019)Wood, Gerry. (1998). "Earl Thomas Conley". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 108. was an American country music singer-songwriter. Between ...

's "When You Were Blue and I Was Green", which reached No. 21 on Hot Country Songs. Vassy continued to work with Rogers on various projects, such as his 1984 album ''What About Me?''. Vassy also composed the song "Kentucky Homemade Christmas" for Rogers, released on ''Christmas'' (Liberty Records, 1981). Also in 1984, he performed a song with country-gospel singer

Stella Parton Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949) is an American country singer and songwriter widely known for a series of country singles that charted during the mid-to-late-1970s, her biggest hit being "I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight" in 1975. Sh ...

, for the Rhinestone soundtrack, which Stella's sister Dolly had starred in. Vassy died of lung cancer in 1994.

Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vassy, Kin 1943 births 1994 deaths American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state) Kenny Rogers and The First Edition members Liberty Records artists People from Carrollton, Georgia American session musicians 20th-century American singers Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American male singers The Back Porch Majority members Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)