RnB - Soul

Queen Of Soul. Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. With her powerful voice and gospel roots, she gained early recognition. In the 1960s, she moved to Atlantic Records and became a legend under the direction of Jerry Wexler. In 1967, the hit ”Respect“ brought her worldwide fame and became an anthem for civil rights and women‘s movements. Aretha was known for her emotional depth and incomparable live performances. Her...

Prince Of Soul. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. born April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C., was more than just a musician; he was a pioneer who left an indelible mark on the world of music. With a career that spanned decades, Marvin Gaye is celebrated as one of the greatest soul singers and songwriters of all time. His contributions to the Motown sound, his social consciousness, and his timeless music inspire audiences around the world. In the 1960s, he became a soulful crooner on Tamla-Motown Records, where...

It Was Time For Soul. Soul music has its roots in the rhythm and blues of the 1950s, when African-American musicians in the USA began to combine traditional blues with elements of jazz and gospel. The first song in soul history is considered to be »What‘D I Say« by Ray Charles, who paved the way for other soul artists with this new creation. In the early 1960s, soul music began to develop into an independent genre. The record labels Stax from Memphis and Motown from Detroit played an...

Brother Ray. Ray Charles Robinson grew up with his brother in poor conditions with his mother Aretha at the time of racial segregation. He learned to play the piano in a backyard. He went blind from glaucoma at the age of seven. Nine months earlier he had observed his brother drowning. After the early death of his mother, Ray left the school for the blind and began to build his career as a professional artist at the age of 14. He achieved his first big successes at Atlantic Records and his...

The Debut. The first studio album of the American music legend Ray Charles is simply called like himself and should be the beginning of a fairy-tale career. It was originally released in June 1957 by Atlantic ­Records. Produced by Jerry Wexler, the debut album is also Ray Charles‘ first greatest hits compilation. A whopping 11 of the album‘s 14 tracks were Top 10 hit singles on the R&B charts between 1953 and 1957. Ray Charles, who went blind in his childhood, is considered an icon and...

The Godfather Of Soul. James Brown counts among the most important musicians of the 20th century. Influenced by Rhythm & Blues and Gospel music he quickly developed his own style and became the Godfather Of Soul. Many of his hits like Please, Please, Please or I Got You (I Fel Good) are absolute classics today. Besides his outstanding voice James Brown was also an exceptional performer. His extravagant dance style, his unbelievably tight trousers and his penchant for make-up make his...

At Last! Etta James was already receiving singing lessons at the age of five. The choir director of a Baptist church in Los Angeles had noticed little Etta‘s voice. The early effort was to pay off. Success in the mainstream did not come until late. With „All I Could Do Was Cry“ came the big breakthrough in 1960. Since then, Etta James‘ full-sounding and mature voice has been omnipresent and carried on from generation to generation. To this day, her classic „At Last“ is used again...

Don‘t know much about history... Sam Cooke is considered one of the „fathers“ of soul. Already as a child he performs together with his siblings. His first successes came with the band The Soul Stirrers. His first hit was as a solo artist with You Send Me. Cook wrote his own songs and founded his own label, which signed musicians such as Bobby Womack and Johnnie Taylor. He himself celebrates his greatest successes at RCA with world hits such as Cupid, Bring It On Home To Me and Wonderful...

Stand By Me. Initially, Benjamin Earl Nelson became known as a member of The Drifters. Despite the great success, King made plans for a solo career. Even the million-selling worldwide hit „Save The Last Dance For Me“ could not prevent the separation. As Ben E. King he started as a solo artist. The ballad „Spanish Harlem“, written by the legend Phil Spector, became his first Top 10 hit in the USA. It was followed by the song that was to make Ben E. King immortal: „Stand By Me.“ The...

Hear Before You Die. Booker T. & the M.G.s formed as the house band for Stax ­Records and provided playbacks for numerous singers, including Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. During a ­recording break for Billy Lee Riley, 17-year-old keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg on bass and Al Jackson Jr. on drums began messing around with a bluesy organ riff. The president of Stax Records, Jim Stewart, was at the mixing board. He liked what he heard and recorded...