Solomon Burke
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Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a soul and country music pioneer and member of the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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[edit] Career
He began his adult life as a preacher in Philadelphia, and soon moved on to hosting a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he signed with Atlantic Records and began moving towards more secular music. His first hit was "Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms", a cover of a country song. Though well-received by both peers and critics, and attaining a few moderate pop and several major R&B hits, Burke never could quite break through into the mainstream as did Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. Perhaps his best-known song -- while it was not a radio hit -- is the song "Cry to Me", used in the famous dance-and-seduction scene in the film, Dirty Dancing.
In 1964 he wrote and recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," Burke's most prominent bid for an enduring soul standard. Almost immediately covered by The Rolling Stones the same year, other well-known versions include one by Wilson Pickett and another, a decade and a half later, in the 1980 film by The Blues Brothers.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
His career was to some degree revived in 2002, with the release of Don't Give Up On Me, where he sang songs written specifically for the album by various top-rank artists, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits.
He is featured in the 2004 movie Lightning in a Bottle, singing "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Down in the Valley". Also in 2004, Solomon appeared on Junkie XL's album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin, performing "Catch Up To My Step". In 2004, Burke also recorded a duet with Italian soul singer Zucchero. The two artists performed Zucchero's hit "Diavolo in me" (Devil in me) on the Italian's duetalbum "ZU & co". Burke was also a guest at a London show in May 2004 in which Zucchero presented the album. This performance is included on Zucchero's dvd "ZU & Co - live at the RAH".
In 2005, he appeared as a special guest with Jools Holland on his autumn tour of the United Kingdom, including two sell-out shows at London's Royal Albert Hall.
As of July 2006, Burke was the father of twenty one children (fourteen daughters and seven sons), 84 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Several of his children and grandchildren have had successful careers in various facets of the music industry, though none are as renowned as their patriarch.
In September 2006, Burke returned to his country roots with the release of a 14-track country album titled Nashville, produced by Buddy Miller. It included guest vocals from Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch and Patty Loveless.
In February 2007, Burke performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and later on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The Tonight Show performance was accompanied by The Tonight Show Band members and bandleader Kevin Eubanks on lead guitar. On Late Night he performed 'That's How I Got To Memphis' from Nashville.
[edit] Trivia
- His song, "None of Us Are Free", from the album Don't Give Up On Me, was featured on an episode of the TV Drama, House.
- The HBO drama The Wire, used "Fast Train" from the album Don't Give Up on Me, in it's closing montage for season 3.
[edit] Discography
- Solomon Burke - 1962 (Kenwood)
- Rock 'n' Soul - 1962 (Atlantic)
- The Rest of Solomon Burke - 1965 (Atlantic)
- I Wish I Knew - 1968 (Atlantic)
- King Solomon - 1968 (Sequel)
- Proud Mary - 1969
- King Heavy - 1972
- Electronic Magnetism - 1972
- I Have a Dream - 1974
- Back to My Roots - 1975
- Music to Make Love By - 1975
- Sidewalks, Fences & Walls - 1979
- Lord We Need a Miracle - 1979
- Get up and Do Something - 1979
- King of Rock 'n' Soul - 1981
- Take Me, Shake Me [live] - 1983
- Soul Alive! - 1985
- A Change Is Gonna Come - 1986
- Love Trap - 1987
- Into My Life You Came - 1990
- This Is His - 1990
- Homeland - 1990
- Soul of the Blues - 1993
- Live at House of Blues - 1994
- Definition of Soul - 1997
- We Need a Miracle' - 1998
- Not by Water But Fire This Time - 1999
- Soulman - 2002
- Don't Give Up on Me - 2002
- The Incredible Solomon Burke at His Best - 2002
- The Apollo Album - 2003
- Make Do With What You Got - 2005
- Nashville - 2006
[edit] External links
- thekingsolomonburke.com
- Make Do With What You Got TracksMusic Review
- Make Do With What You Got The Music Box Review
- http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/solomonburke.txt
- Fabchannel.com - Free video stream of Solomon Burke's Soul Service
- Fabchannel.com - Free video stream of a Solomon Burke concert at Paradiso, Amsterdam
- Solomon Burke photos at the Gospel Festival Chicago IL, 2005
- Solomon Burke biography - at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
