Died on this Date, 1995. Though he resided in Benton, Arkansas, most of his life, Rich was born in Colt, Arkansas to rural cotton farmers. His professional musical career began while he was in the U.S. Air Force in the early1950’s. His first musical group, the Velvetones, played jazz and blues and featured his fiancée, Margaret Ann, on lead vocals. Rich left the military in 1955 and tried to farm five acres in Tennessee. He also began performing in clubs around the Memphis area, playing both jazz and R&B. It was during these hard times that he began writing his own material.