Who sang the song "My Maria" before Brooks and Dunn?

B. W. Stevenson, in 1973.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._W._Steve...

don't no

Was it Tony Orlando?

Written and originally performed by B.W. Stevenson (born Louis Stevenson 10/5/49 in Dallas Texas)
Stevenson died 4/28/88 at the age of only 38 years, following heart valve replacement surgery
The B.W. stands for "Buck Wheat"
Stevenson's original version of the song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973
It was also a #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart
It was the only Top 40 hit of his career, although he was the first artist to record the song "Shambala" that was made famous by the band Three Dog Night