William Edward DeVaughn Jr. was born on November 28, 1947, in the United States of America and is an R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a salaried government employee as a drafting technician, DeVaughn began his music career as a part-time singer. His breakthrough came with the song "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", which he re-wrote into "Be Thankful for What You Got" in 1972. The track was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and featured members of the MFSB group, including guitarists Norman Harris and Bobby Eli, drummer Earl Young, vibraphonist Vince Montana, and percussionist Larry Washington. Released on Roxbury Records in spring 1974, "Be Thankful for What You Got" sold nearly two million copies, reaching Number 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on May 31, 1974, and saw chart entries in the UK as well. DeVaughn's subsequent album releases included Be Thankful for What You Got (1974) and Soul Legend (2011). His second single, "Blood Is Thicker than Water", reached number 10 R&B and number 43 pop later in 1974. In 1980, DeVaughn released the album Figures Can't Calculate, which featured a disco remake of his earlier hit. Later releases included the single "I Came Back" (2004) on Mighty Two Diamond Records and various tracks on Sound Gems Records compilations.
