Solomon Burke

From the age of nine he sings with his father in the choir of the church. At twelve, he preaches already on the radio in Solomon's Temple and turns in the gospel circuit under the name The Wonder Boy Preacher. He recorded gospel discs for Apollo between 1955 and 1958. Jerry Wexler urges at Atlantic in 1960 and named "King of Rock n 'Soul." Aged 24 years, he is married and has nine children.

Wexler comence by him to record a country song: Just Out Of Reach. He goes then resumed country standards and classic rhythm & blues. Cry To Me, a song written by Bert Berns, is the first major success. Others would like Everybody Needs Somebody to Love or If You Need Me, Got To Get You Off My Mind ... His songs have already been taken over by the English group The Rolling Stones or The Moody Blues. Then Burke left Atlantic in 1968.

He signed with Bell for whom he recorded and produced in 1969 the album Proud Mary studios Muscle Shoals. It then migrates at MGM and released a series of new albums, including a tribute to Martin Luther King in 1974. He returned to religion in the years 1980, Embossing securities of pure gospel and preaching at the church under the name of Bishop Burke. In 2002, he recorded an album of songs composed for him by Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits. Although he does more frequent charts for a long time, he continues his career, indefatigable, ranging from gospel, soul and country, as in his latest album Nashville.

Solomon Burke is an amazing character. It is a great guy to the powerful voice, finger rings and scepter in hand, a big fan of bourbon. Torn between his musical career and his career écclesiastique, it is also chief of companies funeral directors and rental limousines. His songs have been featured on numerous occasions by the Moody Blues, the Blues Brothers, Wilson Pickett, Southside Johnny, Betty Harris, and so on. The Rolling Stones have recorded no less than four (Everybody Needs Somebody, Cry To Me, You Can Make It If You Try and If You Need Me).

Cry To Me was used in the film Dirty Dancing. He joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, he received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues disc for the album Do not Give Up On Me

Still active, he gave his last concert in France on July 13, 2007 at the Jazz Festival at Sète.