It is often said "it takes two generations to make a star." Solomon very much belonged to the first. While Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and James Brown became household names, Solomon's star never truly reached the heights he so richly deserved.
Despite his massive frame and resulting health problems (which saw him performing on stage from a throne in recent years), the 'King of Rock n' Soul' would outlast them all, remaining relevant until the very end, continuing to record critical albums, and performing around the globe. His career featured a couple of memorable resurgences, including when his biggest hit Cry to Me (1962) stormed back up the charts after being featured on the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack, and secondly when his album Don't Give Up On Me came from nowhere to win the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2003.
In popular culture, I believe his legacy can really be seen in his oversized influence on artists such as Barry White, Isaac Hayes, and Teddy Pendergrass, among others. Perhaps more importantly, in his personal life, his legacy is represented by 21 children, 90 grandchildren, and 19 great-granchildren. Wow.
Although I can't locate some of my favorite Solomon Burke jams on Youtube, including "Can't Nobody Love You," and "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You," this lovely song from 1976 is a fitting tribute to this truly larger-than-life figure:
Rest in peace.
oh ma gosh. this is sooooo sad.. althouhg every time i'd see him perform i'd think how much longer can he last?!?! a TRUE LEGEND. seriously some of the best songs ever made. Cry to Me is one of my all time favorite songs. i love you SOLLY!!
ReplyDeletefor some reason blogger hasn't been letting me comment... until now i guess. well i just wanted to say that this is very sad news. the man was a legend. i think i might post some missing burke to youtube and maybe some essential record to the blog. stay tuned. RIP
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