Flower
retired
I love Solomon Burke .. this might be the wrong forum .. I'll start with some information
Solomon Burke Website
Solomon Burke on Wikipedia
Career
Soul vocalist and songwriter. Gave sermons and sang gospel music broadcast on Philadelphia radio through his teen years; signed to Apollo label, ca. 1955; worked as mortician, late 1950s; signed to Atlantic label, 1960; recorded first major hit, "Just Out of Reach," 1961; reached R&B Top Five with "Cry to Me" (1962) and "If You Need Me" (1963); topped R&B charts with "Got to Get You Off of My Mind," 1965; moved to Bell label, 1969; recorded for Dunhill, MGM, and Chess labels, 1970s; continued to tour with 21-piece band through 1990s.
Life's Work
Not the best known star in the firmament of 1960s soul music but perhaps the one with the most intensely emotional vocal style, Solomon Burke transplanted elements of black church services into secular music more effectively than any other artist except for perhaps Aretha Franklin. Burke enjoyed his greatest renown as part of the stable of soul vocalists under contract with the Atlantic record label in the mid-1960s. He remained a consistent crowd-pleaser into the twenty-first century thanks in part to his luxurious self-presentation on stage; dubbed the "King of Rock and Soul," he once had an exact replica of the British crown jewels made for his onstage "coronations."
Solomon Burke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family was religious: he attended church services at the House of God for All People and sang gospel music all through his childhood. His musical solo debut came with the church's choir when he was nine, but it was preaching, not singing, that first marked him as something special. Soon he was giving sermons and becoming known as the Wonder Boy Preacher. He began hosting a gospel program on Philadelphia radio by age 12 or 13, broadcasting from a church of his own that he called Solomon's Temple.
Recorded Song Written for Grandmother
Burke's radio program mixed preaching and gospel singing, and in his late teens the power of his voice caught the attention of the wife of a Philadelphia disc jockey who in turn pitched Burke to record label executives of his acquaintance. Burke's recording debut came in 1955 with a song he had written for his grandmother entitled "Christmas Presents from Heaven." Recording for the New York-based Apollo label he soon began to make forays into the secular field; whether the rock-and-roll-oriented "Be Bop Grandma" of 1959 referred to the same grandmother is not known.
Reaping few financial rewards from his early recordings, Burke made a living by learning the mortuary trade. He remained involved in the funeral business after becoming a star, investing some of his earnings in a chain of funeral homes on the West Coast. "Solomon Burke knock you dead from the bandstand," fellow soul vocalist Joe Tex observed to writer Gerri Hirshey who authored No Where to Run. "Then he gift-wrap you for the trip home."
Burke's fiery yet controlled vocal style caught the attention of Atlantic Records, the leading rhythm-and-blues label of the day. Atlantic sensed that Burke had the potential to connect with diverse audiences. "He had a kind of gospel feeling to his singing, and he was also a little bit country," Atlantic executive Ahmet Ertegun told author Gerri Hirshey. Signed to Atlantic in 1960, Burke was brought under the influence of Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler's instinct for unexpected style mixtures. Burke's first major hit came in 1961 with a country song, "Just Out of Reach." Although vocalist Ray Charles is usually credited with developing successful country-soul fusions in the 1960s, Burke's effort preceded Charles's major country-style hits and may have helped to inspire them.
Solomon Burke Website
Solomon Burke on Wikipedia
Career
Soul vocalist and songwriter. Gave sermons and sang gospel music broadcast on Philadelphia radio through his teen years; signed to Apollo label, ca. 1955; worked as mortician, late 1950s; signed to Atlantic label, 1960; recorded first major hit, "Just Out of Reach," 1961; reached R&B Top Five with "Cry to Me" (1962) and "If You Need Me" (1963); topped R&B charts with "Got to Get You Off of My Mind," 1965; moved to Bell label, 1969; recorded for Dunhill, MGM, and Chess labels, 1970s; continued to tour with 21-piece band through 1990s.
Life's Work
Not the best known star in the firmament of 1960s soul music but perhaps the one with the most intensely emotional vocal style, Solomon Burke transplanted elements of black church services into secular music more effectively than any other artist except for perhaps Aretha Franklin. Burke enjoyed his greatest renown as part of the stable of soul vocalists under contract with the Atlantic record label in the mid-1960s. He remained a consistent crowd-pleaser into the twenty-first century thanks in part to his luxurious self-presentation on stage; dubbed the "King of Rock and Soul," he once had an exact replica of the British crown jewels made for his onstage "coronations."
Solomon Burke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family was religious: he attended church services at the House of God for All People and sang gospel music all through his childhood. His musical solo debut came with the church's choir when he was nine, but it was preaching, not singing, that first marked him as something special. Soon he was giving sermons and becoming known as the Wonder Boy Preacher. He began hosting a gospel program on Philadelphia radio by age 12 or 13, broadcasting from a church of his own that he called Solomon's Temple.
Recorded Song Written for Grandmother
Burke's radio program mixed preaching and gospel singing, and in his late teens the power of his voice caught the attention of the wife of a Philadelphia disc jockey who in turn pitched Burke to record label executives of his acquaintance. Burke's recording debut came in 1955 with a song he had written for his grandmother entitled "Christmas Presents from Heaven." Recording for the New York-based Apollo label he soon began to make forays into the secular field; whether the rock-and-roll-oriented "Be Bop Grandma" of 1959 referred to the same grandmother is not known.
Reaping few financial rewards from his early recordings, Burke made a living by learning the mortuary trade. He remained involved in the funeral business after becoming a star, investing some of his earnings in a chain of funeral homes on the West Coast. "Solomon Burke knock you dead from the bandstand," fellow soul vocalist Joe Tex observed to writer Gerri Hirshey who authored No Where to Run. "Then he gift-wrap you for the trip home."
Burke's fiery yet controlled vocal style caught the attention of Atlantic Records, the leading rhythm-and-blues label of the day. Atlantic sensed that Burke had the potential to connect with diverse audiences. "He had a kind of gospel feeling to his singing, and he was also a little bit country," Atlantic executive Ahmet Ertegun told author Gerri Hirshey. Signed to Atlantic in 1960, Burke was brought under the influence of Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler's instinct for unexpected style mixtures. Burke's first major hit came in 1961 with a country song, "Just Out of Reach." Although vocalist Ray Charles is usually credited with developing successful country-soul fusions in the 1960s, Burke's effort preceded Charles's major country-style hits and may have helped to inspire them.
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