In 1960, the still teenage Bryant was offered a shot at songwriting, penning “I Got To Know” for The 5 Royales. He wrote material for other artists at Hi Records while continuing to record with The Four Kings and as a solo artist, resulting in a 1969 solo album. However, with the success of Al Green, Otis Clay, and other vocalists at Hi, Bryant’s singing career took a backseat to writing, joining Earl Randle, Dan Greer, and Darryl Carter as Hi’s top staff writers. Bryant is credited on as many as 154 titles.
By 1970, Willie Mitchell had begun to pair Bryant with his newest act, a young Ann Peebles, for whom he wrote “99 Pounds” and “Do I Need You.” The pair co-wrote the Top 40 hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain” in 1973, and would be married the following year. Bryant spent much of the subsequent decade writing and opening for Peebles, with his final Hi single coming in 1981, a duet with his wife called “Mon Belle-Amour.”
Bryant focused mainly on gospel albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and ultimately stopped performing altogether outside of church services.
