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Oliver (william Oliver Swofford)




Oliver's clean-cut good looks and soaring baritone were the perfect vehicle for his July 1969 #3 single "Good Morning Starshine", from the Pop - Rock musical '' Hair ''. In October 1969 Oliver reached #2 with Rod McKuen 's melodious ballad "Jean", the theme from the Oscar -winning film '' The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie ''. "Sunday Mornin'" peaked at #35 in December 1969, while "Angelica" stalled at #97 in April 1970 . The follow-up "I Can Remember" from July 1970 missed the Hot 100. Oliver appeared on a number of TV variety shows and specials in the late 1960s , including the '' Ed Sullivan Show ''.

Despite his vocal talents, Oliver could not sustain more hits and he later made a career in business. A short-lived attempt to team up with Karen Carpenter in the late 1970s was unsuccessful. In 1983, '' People '' magazine ran a feature article on Oliver, describing a happily married father who kept his distance from the music business. In the late 1990s Oliver was diagnosed with cancer, and he died in Shreveport , Louisiana , on the same date that Screamin' Jay Hawkins , Charles Schulz , and Tom Landry all died.