9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁His ▁biggest ▁hit ▁was ▁" P le adin ' ▁For ▁Love ", ▁which ▁reached ▁the ▁Billboard ▁R & B ▁chart ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Pul ask i , ▁Tennessee , ▁into ▁a ▁musical ▁family ; ▁all ▁his ▁brothers ▁and ▁sing ers ▁also ▁sang . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Pi ke ville ▁Re format ory ▁School , ▁but ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁Nash ville ▁music ▁prom oter ▁Ted ▁Jar rett , ▁who ▁later ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁managed ▁to ▁secure ▁Bird song ' s ▁release ▁from ▁prob ation ▁by ▁signing ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁recording ▁contract ▁for ▁Excel lo ▁Records . ▁ ▁He ▁first ▁recorded ▁with ▁Louis ▁Bro oks ▁and ▁his ▁Hi - To ppers ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁record , ▁" P le adin ' ▁For ▁Love ", ▁reached ▁no . 1 1 ▁on ▁the ▁R & B ▁chart ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁his ▁only ▁chart ▁hit . ▁ ▁Bird song ▁then ▁recorded ▁for ▁the ▁Cal vert ▁label ▁owned ▁by ▁Jar rett ; ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁records , ▁" Let ' s ▁Try ▁It ▁Again ", ▁was ▁le ased ▁to ▁De cca ▁Records ▁without ▁success . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁he ▁signed ▁for ▁V ee - J ay ▁Records , ▁together ▁with ▁another ▁of ▁Jar rett ' s ▁prot ég és , ▁Gene ▁All ison . ▁ ▁Although ▁All ison