Solomon Burke

Solomon Burke
Background information
Also known as	"The King of Rock 'N Soul," "Big Sol"
Born	March 21 1940 (1940-03-21) Philadelphia, U.S.
Genre(s)	Blues, Gospel, R&B, Soul
Occupation(s)	Preacher, singer,
Years active	1960s – 2008
Label(s)	Kenwood Records, Atlantic, Sequel, Fat Possum Records
Website	http://www.thekingsolomonburke.com

Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1940) is a American rhythm and blues performer and songwriter who, despite only moderate success as a recording artist, has had a major impact on the music business. A Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, Burke drew from gospel, soul, and blues to create a unique style R&B style when the genre was still in its infancy.

Begining his career as a gospel music artist and preacher, he signed with Atlantic in the 60s, his career focused along secular lines. He had a string of R&B hits, including "Cry to Me," "If You Need Me," "Got to Get You Off My Mind (Call Me)," "Tonight's the Night," and "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)." Most of his music, however, did not cross over to the pop charts as did fellow gospel-turned R & B stars Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. Burke nevertheless reach mainstream audiences through his writing of the iconic R & B "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," which became widely known from covers by The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, and the soundtrack of the hit movie The Blues Brothers.

In the late 60s, Burke left Atlantic and signed with several labels over the next decade. His biggest hit came in 1969: a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary." Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Biography

Burke reports that he was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 21, 1940, although some sources claim that he was born in 1936 or 1938. Before his teens, he was already preaching at his family's church in Philadelphia and hosting his own gospel radio show. As a young adult, he continued working in the gospel radio business and preaching. He recorded gospel and some R&B on the Apollo label in the late 50s. In 1960 he signed with Atlantic Records and, like several other gospel singers of the era, began moving towards more secular music.

His first minor hit was "Just Out of Reach of My Open Arms" in 1961, a cover of a country song. In 1962 he reached the R & B Top Five with "Cry to Me," followed the next year by "If You Need Me (Call Me)." In 1964, he wrote and recorded his best-known song "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." The song was almost immediately covered by The Rolling Stones and later by Wilson Pickett, who paid tribute to Burke in his preaching introduction to the song. In 1980, the song reached new audiences and became a rock and R & B standard when it was used in the climactic performance scene the hit movie The Blues Brothers.

In 1965, Burke topped the R&B charts with "Got to Get You Off of My Mind." Burke's powerful singing and stage presence were well-received by live audiences, as well as both peers and critics. However, he was not able to break through into the mainstream. He moved to the Bell label in 1969, and recorded for Dunhill, MGM, and Chess labels in the 70s.

In the 80s and 90s, Burke was one of the chief exponents of classic soul music, touring and producing record albums in a style that merged his gospel and R&B roots. As a result, his music was mainly marketed to an audience that appreciated Burke's musical roots rather than pop music. Burke's live and recorded music remained a favorite of those who wanted to experience a legendary soul singer who had maintained his original style.

In 1987, he appeared in the movie The Big Easy as Daddy Mention. He would continue to tour with 21-piece band through 1990s.

Recent career

Known as a family man and supporter of traditional values, in 2000, Burke and his family were invited to perform at the Jubilee of the Family at the Vatican. Since then, he has been invited back to the Vatican by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the Vatican's Christmas celebration. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Burke's career was revived to some degree in 2002, with the release of Don't Give Up On Me on Fat Possum Records, in which he sang songs written specifically for the album by top-rank artists, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, and Elvis Costello. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

In 2004, Burke was featured in the 2004 movie Lightning in a Bottle, singing "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Down in the Valley." In the same year he was featured on the song "I Pray On Christmas" on the Blind Boys Of Alabama album Go Tell It On The Mountain, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. Also in 2004, Burke recorded a duet with Italian soul singer Zucchero.

In September 2006, Burke returned to his country roots with the release of a 14-track album titled Nashville. It included guest vocals from Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch, and Patty Loveless. He also made a number of memorable live performance, including duets with Jerry Lee Lewis at his "Last Man Standing" concert in New York (2006) and guest slots on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In 2007 Burke co-hosted a celebration of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun's life's work at Lincoln Center in New York.

In June 2008, he relased a new album, Like A Fire, with songs written by Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Jesse Harris, and Keb' Mo', followed by a European summer tour with concerts in Portugal, England, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, Switzerland, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden. Although in recent tours he often performs seated (usually in royal "King Solomon" splendor), he remains an infectiously energetic presence on stage.

Legacy

Otis Redding, who covered Burke's "Down in the Valley" for 1965's Otis Blue.

Even though Solomon Burke never was considered a pop-hit maker—he never had a top-20 hit—he made his mark as an important early pioneer in soul music. While recording for Atlantic records in the 1960s, he infused a country sound into his R&B works, producing unique melodic ballads with sophisticated arrangements. His highly polished, emotional songs, which combined of gospel, pop, and country influences, set the pattern for successful, early soul music. Burke's music played a major role in influencing major artists like the Rolling Stones, who on their early albums covered Burke's "Cry to Me" and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

Soul legend Solomon Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Discography

• You Can Run But You Can't Hide - 1958 (Apollo)
• Solomon Burke - 1962 (Kenwood)
• Rock 'n' Soul - 1964 (Atlantic)
• The Rest of Solomon Burke - 1965 (Atlantic)
• I Wish I Knew - 1968 (Atlantic)
• King Solomon - 1968 (Sequel)
• Proud Mary - 1969
• King Heavy - 1972
• Electronic Magnetism - 1972
• I Have a Dream - 1974
• Back to My Roots - 1975
• Music to Make Love By - 1975
• Sidewalks, Fences & Walls - 1979
• Lord We Need a Miracle - 1979
• Get Up and Do Something - 1979
• King of Rock 'n' Soul - 1981
• Take Me, Shake Me [live] - 1983

• Soul Alive! - 1984
• A Change is Gonna Come - 1986
• Love Trap - 1987
• Into My Life You Came - 1990
• This is His - 1990
• Homeland - 1990
• Soul of the Blues - 1993
• Live at House of Blues - 1994
• Definition of Soul - 1997
• We Need a Miracle' - 1998
• Not By Water But Fire This Time - 1999
• Soulman - 2002
• Don't Give Up on Me - 2002
• The Incredible Solomon Burke at His Best - 2002
• The Apollo Album - 2003
• Make Do With What You Got - 2005
• Nashville - 2006
• Like a Fire - 2008

Other contributions

• Lifted: Songs of the Spirit - 2002 - "None of Us Are Free"

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Burke, Solomon, et. al. Darker Blues. Oxford, Miss.: Fat Possum Records, 2002.

ISBN 978-0972435208

• Burke, Solomon. Make Do with What You Got. Los Angeles: Shout! Factory, 2005. ISBN 978-0738930657
• DeRemer, Leigh Ann. Contemporary Musicians. Volume 36: Profiles of the People in Music. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group/Thomson Learning, 2002. ISBN 978-0787660260
• Findaway World, Llc. The Definitive Collection. Chagrin, Falls, Ohio: Findaway World, 2008. ISBN 978-1605145488
• George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski, Patricia; and Pareles, Jon. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York: Fireside, 2001. ISBN 978-0743201209
• Whitburn, Joel. Top R and B Singles, 1942-1999. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research Inc., 2000. ISBN 978-0898201369

External links

• Solomon Burke—official website.
• Solomon Burke discography at Discogs.
• Solomon Burke discography at Soul Express.
• Make Do With What You Got—TracksMusic review.
• Make Do With What You Got—The Music Box review.
• Solomon Burke photos at the Gospel Festival Chicago IL, 2005].
• Solomon Burke biography at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• Solomon Burke page at AllMusic.
• Solomon Burke Gets His Due by Tim Newby, from HonestTune.com.

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