SOLOMON BURKE, THE BRIDGE BETWEEN R&B AND SOUL

Today, The Grandma is relaxing at home. The weather is cold, and she decided to stay at home listening to some music. She has chosen Solomon Burke, the American preacher and singer, who was born on a day like today in 1936 or 1940, we are not very sure when.

Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940-October 10, 2010) was an American preacher and singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s.

He has been called a key transitional figure bridging R&B and soul, and was known for his prodigious output.

He had a string of hits including Cry to Me, If You Need Me, Got to Get You Off My Mind, Down in the Valley, and Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.

Burke was referred to honorifically as King Solomon, the King of Rock 'n' Soul, Bishop of Soul, and the Muhammad Ali of soul.

Due to his minimal chart success in comparison to other soul music greats such as James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding, Burke has been described as the genre's most unfairly overlooked singer of its golden age. Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler referred to Burke as the greatest male soul singer of all time.

Burke's most famous recordings, which spanned five years in the early 1960s, bridged the gap between mainstream R&B and grittier R&B.

Burke was a singer whose smooth, powerful articulation and mingling of sacred and profane themes helped define soul music in the early 1960s. He drew from his roots -gospel, jazz, country, and blues- as well as developing his own style at a time when R&B, and rock were both still in their infancy.

More information: NPR

Described as both Rabelaisian and also as a spiritual enigma, perhaps more than any other artist, the ample figure of Solomon Burke symbolized the ways that spirituality and commerce, ecstasy and entertainment, sex and salvation, individualism and brotherhood, could blend in the world of 1960s soul music.

During the 55 years that he performed professionally, Burke released 38 studio albums on at least 17 record labels and had 35 singles that charted in the US, including 26 singles that made the Billboard R&B charts.

In 2001, Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer. His album Don't Give Up on Me won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003.

By 2005 Burke was credited with selling 17 million albums. Rolling Stone ranked Burke as No. 89 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Burke was born James Solomon McDonald on March 21, 1940, in the upper floor of his grandmother Eleanor Moore's home, a row house in West Philadelphia.

Burke was the child of Josephine Moore and an absentee father. His mother Josephine was a nurse, schoolteacher, concert performer and pastor.

Burke was consecrated a bishop at birth by his grandmother in the Solomon's Temple, a congregation of the United House of Prayer for All People, which she founded at her home in Black Bottom, West Philadelphia.

Burke signed with Apollo Records in late 1955, following the departure of gospel singer and the label's primary star Mahalia Jackson to Columbia. After he signed with Apollo, the label's founder Bess Berman and its handlers were reportedly trying to make Burke the next Harry Belafonte.

Burke recorded nine singles for the label during his two-year tenure, releasing his first single, Christmas Presents, on Christmas Eve of 1955.

More information: Elsewhere

In November 1960, he signed with Atlantic Records. According to Burke, he signed with the label within ten minutes of entering Jerry Wexler's office, reportedly signing a handshake deal with Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun.

At the time of Burke's signing, two of Atlantic Records' major stars, Bobby Darin and Ray Charles, had left the label for better deals with Capitol and ABC respectively.

After a string of a dozen hit records, by November 1963 Burke had agreed to be crowned the King of Rock 'n' Soul in a ceremony at the Royal Theatre in Baltimore by local deejay Fred Robinson, known professionally as Rockin' Robin, who also gave him a cape and crown that he always wore on stage.

After leaving Atlantic, Burke signed with Bell Records where he released five singles in the next eighteen months.

In 1969, he had a small hit with his second release for Bell, a reworking of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary b/w What Am I Living For (Bell 783).

Through the efforts of his manager, Buddy Glee, by November 1970 Burke signed with Mike Curb's MGM label, and formed MBM Productions, his own production company.

Between 1979 and 1984, Burke recorded four gospel albums for Savoy Records, starting with the album, Lord I Need a Miracle Right Now.

In 2002, Burke signed with Fat Possum Records and released the album, Don't Give Up on Me.

Burke later signed with Shout! Factory to release the album Make Do With What You Got, which became another critically acclaimed success.

In 2006, Burke returned to his country roots with the album, Nashville.

On October 10, 2010, Burke died at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport while on a plane from Washington Dulles Airport that had just landed.

More information: Time

I didn't need to depend on the record company
to publish my records.

Solomon Burke