Not only is Billy Vera (born William McCord, Jr. on May 28, 1944 in Riverside, CA) a rock historian, he's made some rock history himself over the last quarter century. Vera wrote for the likes of Barbara Lewis and Rick Nelson during the mid-'60s before recording his Storybook Children as an RB duet with Judy Clay in 1967 for Atlantic. It proved a solid hit, as did their 1968 follow-up Country Girl - City Man. Vera surfaced as a solo artist in 1987 when At This Moment, a song he'd cut in 1981 with his band, Beaters, was featured on the popular TV sitcom #Family Ties and topped the pop charts on Rhino. Vera recently returned to a soulful duet format, this time with ex-Labelle belter Nona Hendryx, for You Have to Cry Sometime on Shanachie. Vera has also compiled and annotated many CD reissue projects, notably the Legends of Specialty series. ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi