Solomon Burke

A performer capable of astonishing force and finesse, Solomon Burke was nothing less than one of soul music’s founding fathers. Alongside peers like Otis Redding and James Brown, the Philadelphia-born vocalist and preacher forged the template for soul in the early ’60s with “Cry to Me”, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and many more songs that combined the raw grit and punch of rhythm ‘n’ blues with the grace and beauty of gospel. And while he didn’t match Brown and others when it came to crossing over to white listeners, later triumphs like 2002’s blues-oriented Don’t Give up on Me and 2005’s Make Do With What You Got showed both the depth of his artistry and his undiminished ability to move, inspire and amaze. The often regally attired singer continued to command the respect and reverence of audiences and peers until his death in 2010.