Solomon Burke was an American singer/songwriter. During the half-century that he performed, he drew from his roots: gospel, soul, and blues, as well as developing his own style at a time when R&B, and rock were still in their infancy died from natural causes.he was , 70. In 2001, Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer. His album Don't Give Up on Me won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003.(March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010)
Early life and career
Solomon Burke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some sources claim that he was born in 1936, others say 1938, but in a 2002 interview with Philadelphia Weekly Burke stated that he was born in 1940.[1] He began his adult life as a preacher in Philadelphia, and soon moved on to hosting a gospel radio show. He met fellow preacher Martin Luther King, Jr. several times.[2] Artistically, Burke was influenced by the music of the church, as well as by Little Richard.[3]In the 60s, Burke signed with Atlantic Records and began moving towards more secular music. His first hit was "Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two 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, who covered Burke's "Down in the Valley" for 1965's Otis Blue. Burke's best known song is "Cry to Me", which was a hit twice: first in the 60s, and again in the 1980s when it was used in the film – and appeared on the soundtrack for – Dirty Dancing.
In 1964, with Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler, he wrote and recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", his 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 The Blues Brothers.
Burke enjoyed a special relationship with the Catholic Church throughout his life and in 2000, he and his family were invited to perform at the Jubilee of the Family at the Vatican. He was invited back to the Vatican by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the Christmas celebration.
Burke was also an undertaker and had a mortuary business in Los Angeles.[4] He was trained as a mortician early in his life and had worked in his uncle's funeral parlor.[5]
In 1987, he appeared in the movie The Big Easy as Daddy Mention.
He was mentioned throughout the 1995 Nick Hornby novel High Fidelity.
2000s
Burke 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 on Fat Possum Records and produced by Joe Henry,[6] where he sang songs written specifically for the album by various leading recording artists, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits. Don't Give Up on Me won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003.He appeared in the concert held on April 30, 2003 to commemorate the opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, TN. A DVD of the concert is available from PBS, and features two of his performances.
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". Also in 2004 he was featured on the song "I Pray On Christmas" from the Blind Boys Of Alabama album Go Tell It On The Mountain, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. 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 duets album 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 Royal Albert Hall.
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.
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. The sessions produced the first recording Griffin's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)", which she brought to Burke because of his association with King and that era.[2] The album peaked at #55 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Solomon was joined by a host of top country stars and backed by Buddy Miller and his Band at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee on September 25, 2006 for a one-off concert to celebrate the release of Nashville. The concert was filmed by HDNet and was released on DVD in Europe on September 17, 2007.
On September 28, 2006, Burke was among the several rock, soul, and country legends who sang along with Jerry Lee Lewis at the live concert "Last Man Standing" at the Sony Music Studio in New York. The two duets were "Who Will the Next Fool Be" and "Today I Started Lovin' You Again".
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 with Buddy Miller "That's How I Got To Memphis", from Burke's album Nashville.
As one of the early artists at Atlantic Records, in 2007 Burke honored Ahmet Ertegün, the co-founder of Atlantic Records and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Burke co-hosted the March 2007 celebration of Ertegun's life's work at Lincoln Center in New York, participated in the American Master's documentary Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built, and in December 2007, Burke performed at the private after-party after the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 in Greenwich, London, along with Ben E. King, Percy Sledge and Sam Moore.
In January 2008, Solomon went back to the recording studio to record with the producer/drummer Steve Jordan. The album titled Like a Fire has songs written specifically for Burke by Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Jesse Harris, Keb' Mo', Meegan Voss and Steve Jordan and was released on June 10, 2008. This album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album of 2008.[7]
Burke joined Widespread Panic on stage for None of Us Are Free at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles on June 20, 2008.
He performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 15, 2008, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on June 22, 2008, and for the first time in his career at England's Glastonbury Festival on June 29, 2008. This was part of his European 2008 Summer Tour, and included concerts in Portugal, England, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, Switzerland, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden.
In January 2009, Burke joined legendary record producer Willie Mitchell at Mitchell's Royal Studio in Memphis to work together on a new recording—an album titled "Nothing's Impossible" which was released on April 6, 2010. It was the first time Burke and Mitchell had worked together in their careers. Burke also put on his record label hat when his label, The One Entertainment Systems, signed Clarence Fountain and Sam Butler and their most recent project, Stepping Up And Stepping Out. It was Clarence Fountain's first project after having left the Blind Boys of Alabama.
On July 24, 2009, Burke played at the Open-air stage in Charlton Park for the WOMAD Music Festival, held in Wiltshire, England.
Burke celebrated his 70th birthday in March 2010 and toured Japan for the first time in May 2010, before his "Year of the Dream Love Tour" across Europe in July and August 2010, including dates in Spain, Italy, England, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Serbia, Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Burke's last performance was at the 40th annual Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival, on Saturday, September 4, 2010.
In October 2010, his final album Hold on Tight[8] was released, recorded in the ICP-studios in Brussels. It contains 13 songs written by Dutch pop/soul band De Dijk translated into English for performance by Burke.
Personal life
Burke fathered 21 children (14 daughters and 7 sons),[9] had 90 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.[6] Several of his children and grandchildren have had successful careers in various facets of the music industry, though none is as renowned as their patriarch. One of his grandsons, Novel, released his first studio album in October 2008. His daughter, Candy Burke, was a backing singer at many of Burke's performances including the July 2008 Juan-les-Pins concert where she performed a rendition of "I Will Survive" to rapturous applause from the crowd. She also appears in the 2003 North Sea Jazz Festival DVD with her father.Death
On October 10, 2010, Burke died at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport while on a plane from Los Angeles that had just landed. He had been due to perform with De Dijk in Amsterdam on October 12.[10] The cause of death was not immediately clear; according to his family, Burke died of natural causes.[11]Discography
Singles (chart hits only)
| Year | Title | Label & Cat. No. | U.S. Pop[12] | U.S. R&B[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)" | Atlantic 2114 | ||
| 1962 | "Cry to Me" | Atlantic 2131 | ||
| 1962 | "I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You" / "Down in the Valley" | Atlantic 2147 | 71 | 20 |
| 1962 | "I Really Don't Want to Know" | Atlantic 2157 | ||
| 1963 | "If You Need Me" | Atlantic 2185 | ||
| 1963 | "Can't Nobody Love You" | Atlantic 2196 | ||
| 1963 | "You're Good for Me" | Atlantic 2205 | ||
| 1964 | "He'll Have to Go" | Atlantic 2218 | ||
| 1964 | "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" | Atlantic 2226 | ||
| 1964 | "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" | Atlantic 2241 | ||
| 1964 | "Yes I Do" | Atlantic 2254 | ||
| 1964 | "The Price" | Atlantic 2259 | ||
| 1965 | "Got to Get You Off My Mind" | Atlantic 2276 | ||
| 1965 | "Tonight's the Night" | Atlantic 2288 | ||
| 1965 | "Someone Is Watching" | Atlantic 2299 | ||
| 1965 | "Only Love (Can Save Me Now)" | Atlantic 2308 | ||
| 1966 | "Baby Come on Home" | Atlantic 2314 | ||
| 1966 | "I Feel a Sin Coming On" | Atlantic 2327 | ||
| 1966 | "Keep Looking" | Atlantic 2349 | ||
| 1967 | "Keep a Light in the Window Till I Come Home" | Atlantic 2378 | ||
| 1967 | "Take Me (Just as I Am)" | Atlantic 2416 | ||
| 1967 | "Detroit City" | Atlantic 2459 | ||
| 1968 | "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" | Atlantic 2507 | ||
| 1969 | "Up Tight Good Woman" | Bell 759 | ||
| 1969 | "Proud Mary" | Bell 783 | ||
| 1971 | "The Electronic Magnetism (That's Heavy, Baby)" | MGM 14221 | ||
| 1972 | "Love's Street and Fool's Road" | MGM 14353 | ||
| 1972 | "We're Almost Home" | MGM 14402 | ||
| 1972 | "Get Up and Do Something for Yourself" | MGM 14425 | ||
| 1973 | "Shambala" | MGM 14571 | ||
| 1974 | "Midnight and You" | ABC 4388 | ||
| 1975 | "You and Your Baby Blues" | Chess 2159 | ||
| 1975 | "Let Me Wrap My Arms Around You" | Chess 2172 | ||
| 1978 | "Please Don't You Say Goodbye to Me" | Amherst 736 |
Studio albums
- Solomon Burke - 1962 (Apollo)
- Solomon Burke's Greatest Hits - 1962 (Atlantic)
- If You Need Me - 1963 (Atlantic)
- Rock 'n' Soul - 1964 (Atlantic)
- The Rest of Solomon Burke - 1965 (Atlantic)
- King Solomon - 1967 (Atlantic)
- I Wish I Knew - 1968 (Atlantic)
- Proud Mary - 1969 (Bell)
- The Electronic Magnetism - 1971 (MGM)
- Cool Breeze [soundtrack] - 1972 (MGM)
- We're Almost Home - 1972 (MGM)
- History of Solomon Burke - 1972 (Pride/MGM)
- I Have a Dream - 1974 (ABC/Dunhill)
- Music to Make Love By - 1975 (Chess)
- Back to My Roots - 1976 (Chess)
- Sidewalks, Fences and Walls - 1979 (Infinity)
- Lord, I Need Need a Miracle Right Now - 1979 (Savoy)
- Into My Life You Came - 1982 (Savoy)
- Take Me, Shake Me - 1983 (Savoy)
- This Is His Song - 1984 (Savoy)
- Soul Alive! - 1984 (Rounder)
- A Change Is Gonna Come - 1986 (Rounder)
- Love Trap - 1987 (MCI/Isis-Voice)
- Homeland - 1991 (Bizarre/Straight)
- Soul of the Blues - 1993 (Black Top)
- Live at the House of the Blues - 1994 (Black Top)
- The Definition of Soul - 1997 (Point Blank)
- Not by Water But Fire This Time - 1999 (GTR)
- Christmas All Over the World - 1999 (GTR)
- The Commitment - 2001 (GTR)
- Don't Give Up on Me - 2002 (Fat Possum/ANTI-)
- Make Do With What You Got - 2005 (Shout! Factory)
- Nashville - 2006 (Shout! Factory)
- Like a Fire - 2008 (Shout! Factory)
- Nothing's Impossible - 2010 (E1)
- Hold on Tight (with De Dijk) - 2010 (Universal Music)
Compilations
- This Is It: Apollo Soul Origins - 2008 (Shout 46)
- No Man Walks Alone 1955-1957 - 2008 (Saga)
- Home in Your Heart: The Best of Solomon Burke - 1992 (Rhino/Atlantic)
- Proud Mary: The Bell Sessions - 2000 (Sundazed)
- The Very Best of Solomon Burke - 1998 (Rhino)
- That's Heavy Baby: The Best of the MGM Years 1971-1973 - 2005 (Raven)
- Looking for a Sign: The Complete ABC & Pride Recordings 1972-74 - 2009 (Shambala)
- The Chess Collection - 2006 (Chess/Universal)
- The Collection - 2004 (Spectrum)
Contributions
- Lifted: Songs of the Spirit - 2002 - "None of Us Are Free"
- Joyful Noise - Derek Trucks Band - 2002 - "Home In Your Heart" and "Like Anyone Else"
- ZU & Co. - Zucchero - 2004 - "Diavolo in Me / Devil in Me"
- Jack O the Green - Jools Holland - 2005 - "Message to My Son" with Eric Clapton
- Brussel - De Dijk - 2008 - "Het Moet En Het Zal/Enough Is Enough"
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