Greatest Soul Singer of all time?

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Im going with Sam Cooke.

― Poops McGee, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1. Colin Blunstone 2. Dusty Springfield 3. Irma Franklin

― Dr. C, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Aretha Franklin. Actually she's the greatest singer of all time period.

― Sean, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Otis Redding.

― JM, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But what about the Righteous Bros.?

― JM, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Al Green. No cracks abt Mili Vanilli pl., Mr Sinker...

― Andrew L, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

got to be marvin gaye

― leigh, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1. Betty Lavette
2. O.V. Wright
3. Tony France

― Tim, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Irma Thomas, Al Green, Sugarpie DeSanto.

― fritz, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well, Al Green's the sexiest. I'll go with him and Aretha. I like Dr. C's suggestion of Colin Blunstone, though.

― Arthur, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Y'know, I wasn't down w/ Blunstone @ first, but then I remember that demo version of "Summertime" on zee Zombies boxset, and hey now it makes sense!

Seeing the Behind the Music special on the Doobie Brothers brings Michael McDonald's voice to mind...

― David Raposa, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

don't look at me!

marcia barrett, liz mitchell and maisie williams

― mark s, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Forgot to mention Junior Byles.

― Tim, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, Mark, I ALMOST thought you were giving props to Ida (& co-lead- singer Elizabeth Mitchell), until I did a little Googling. Oh, MARK. You wound me so.

― David Raposa, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

nina simone if she isnt jazz

― anthony, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Otis Redding, definitely. Go listen to "That's How Strong My Love Is" and tell me he isn't. But I have a personal bias toward Roger Collins for "Foxy Girls in Oakland." "All those guys in Frisco," he sings "They don't do nothing all day...." So true.

― Andy, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Note the double-negative, Andy. I take it you're in the East Bay?

― Sean, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My vote is with Marvin Gaye, though Aretha Franklin is a close second -- disqualified only by her forays in the 80s.

― jek, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No one's said James Carr...

― Keiko, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd go with Sam Cooke, but the production on some of his sides is so awwwful (someone needs to rework those tracks sans the backup singers). Otherwise, I'm going with Marvin.

― Dan Gibson, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Al Green, James Carr, Aretha, Otis, all great choices. I feel the need to mention Mighty Sam, Bobby Bland, Otis Clay, Garnet Mimms and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops. There's an endless series of fantastic singers in soul - however much you know, you'll come scross another wonderful one any time now.

― Martin Skidmore, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Smokey.

― dylan, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

isn't one of the reasons this is a bit of a boring hornboid thread that soul is already DEFINED as being "that style of music that [aretha/al/otis/marvin] is best at", so the answers are built into the question?: if i tried answering michael macdonald or poly styrene or robert smith or klaus nomi or lata mangeshkar, everyone wd just tut tut at me

a more challenging question would be: If soul is that style of music that [x] is best at, what is the maximum value of n[x]

(ie how many plausible/acceptable "Best Soul Singers" are there?)

― mark s, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

or (a bit less curmudgified on my part): what is the most, daring, surprising, outre suggestion for this which will NOT be tut- tutted out of hand by the ppl who automatically answer "aretha/otis/blah"

― mark s, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

jim reid

― keith, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It is a shame that nobody has brought up Ron Isley. That dude is bad, don't sleep on him.

Foots Steps In The Dark... c'mon!

― mt, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

^{what is the most, daring, surprising, outre

suggestion}

Of all the qualities a suggestion can have, 'daring', 'suprising' and 'outre' have the least value in a discourse of peers (such as ILM)- I find it lamentable that they are still percieved valuable in the monodirectional world of the professional style-writers, though that seems to be the case.

I'm with Smokey - I was listening to 'Hunter gets captured by the game' today and I was seriously wondering if God had started the Rapture.

― Alexander Blair, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i'm going with Brooke Benton just cause of Rainy Night in Georgia, but Sam Cooke is a good choice, but the early Sam Cooke albums are more lounge than soul. But Sam - when he's on, he's on............

― paul brownell, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

though i have to confess, Dusty's Springfield Memphis album is the greatest white soul, Aretha Franklin's Bridge over troubled water is beautiful, but are we not forgetting the MIGHTY CAN YOU TESTIFY ON A SUNNY DAY IN SAVANNAH GEORGIA, Mahalia Jackson?

Thought some of Nina Simone's songs should be counted as well.

― paul brownell, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about Michael Jackson? I find "Man in the Mirror" and "Billie Jean" to be more affecting than the entire Stax and Motown catalogs combined. He's also more interesting, person-wise, than Aretha (who looks like Mojo the X-Men villian these days) or Otis Redding (ooh, dead) etc.

― adam, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Otis is the man.

― baxter wingnut, Saturday, 23 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Al Green. Go listen to his version of "I Can't Get Next To You" and then just TRY to tell me I'm wrong.

― Douglas, Sunday, 24 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

or "Have You Been Making Out OK." or "Loving You" off The Belle Album. or the live "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" from the box set. or the studio version, hell. or....

― M. Matos, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Candi Staton, if only for "I'd rather be an old man's sweetheart"

― chris, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Depends on the songs.

― Tom, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(M. Jackson is...)also more interesting, person-wise, than Aretha (who looks like Mojo the X-Men villian these days)

Michael is certainly interesting person-wise and you have to give him credit for rocking the X-Men villain from way back.

― fritz, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Um, HELLO?

James Brown.

― Ben Williams, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Robert Wyatt.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 25 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

Depend's what day of the week it is, what the weather is like, what mood you're in, how fat you're wallet is feeling, what you're doing at the time, etc. Today is Friday, sun is shining, I'm feelin' good, wallet's pretty heavy,.... Stevie. Sorry, Barry. No, Prince. Chaka. Or Minnie.. aww to hell with it, let me play some Mobb Deep and done.

PS I defy anyone to tut tut @ Michael Macdonald, that man can sang!

― T Jones, Friday, 15 August 2003 10:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Jimmy Somerville is the greatest soul singer evah.

― Jacob (Jacob), Friday, 15 August 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

i second James Brown.

― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Greatest women soul singers:

1) Aretha Franklin
2) Tina Turner (when she was with Ike)
3) Gladys Knight

Greatest men soul singers:

1) Otis Redding
2) Al Green
3&4) (tied) Wilson Pickett and Smokey Robinson

Note: I consider James Brown, "Godfather of Soul", to be a uniquely great artist, but the funky sound he and Maceo Parker created was just too far from the gospel roots to quite qualify as soul for me. James made his own church of funk and inside it he was god.

Yes. I know there were another dozen great names I could have mentioned. I recognize the talents of singers like Bobby Bland, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, Sam and Dave, James Carr, the Four Tops, and so on. There's just only so much room at the top. You gotta take a stand.

― Aimless, Friday, 15 August 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

the greatest testament to michael mcdonald's testament is that he could do a marvin gaye cover that didnt make me want to shoot my radio.

Otis and the Queen are my picks.

― robert lashley (brotherman), Saturday, 16 August 2003 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

lucky we followed alexander blair's line and not mine, or this thread would never have taken off so memorably

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 16 August 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

so soulful nobody can actually bear to listen to him anymore: donny hathaway

― vahid (vahid), Saturday, 16 August 2003 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

pat boone

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Saturday, 16 August 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not real hot on soul generally, but no love for Curtis Mayfield?

― Nick H, Sunday, 17 August 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"so soulful nobody can actually bear to listen to him anymore: donny hathaway "

what a lovely little cheapshot.

look to each is own, but to put a whimsical little sarcastic aside because I had a problem with christgau dissing him reflects more on some turgid little hipster critical mantra in your head than it does on myself.

― robert lashley (brotherman), Monday, 18 August 2003 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Depending on my mood Al Green or Marvin Gaye.

I'm not real hot on soul generally, but no love for Curtis Mayfield?

Nick H, I wouldn't call Curtis Mayfield the finest soul singer, but I would call him possibly the finest soul songwriter.

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 18 August 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

robert - i don't know you (and i think you don't know me) and i don't know what you're talking about. in fact i've never seen your name before i opened this thread, and i have no idea what you said about christgau (or any topic on ILM for that matter) at any time in the past.

i like donny hathaway and it makes me sad nobody listens to him anymore. i wasn't being sarcastic, maybe whimsical. i do subscribe to the currently fashionable theory that albums like "extension of a man" kind of killed soul music (as a force in pop, by the grandiosity of their ambition) so i may be a "turgid little hipster" - but that doesn't reduce my esteem for donny hathaway.

i hope this illustrates the danger and futility of snapping at strangers.

― vahid (vahid), Monday, 18 August 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 46 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

These names are inferior to Tom Jones.

― Comstock Carabineri (nostudium), Monday, 11 September 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

Prince

or Al Green

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 11 September 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.pure80spop.co.uk/Images/poppics/tonthadley.jpg

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 11 September 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

His vocals on "True" when he listens to Marvin all night long are better than anything Marvin Gaye ever did, even though Gaye never recorded "All Night Long," that was Lionel Richards.

― Comstock Carabineri (nostudium), Monday, 11 September 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Sam Cooke

― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 03:56 (nineteen years ago)

That James Carr can pull off "Like a soldier needs a gun/like a burger needs a bun" suggests a talent of immeasurable depth.

― bendy (bendy), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 04:14 (nineteen years ago)

Eamon

― señor citizen (eman), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 04:17 (nineteen years ago)

For singing alone: Smokey Robinson

Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie are even better songwriters though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.aggressiveart.org/sp_uk/history/p_green77.jpg

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 11:06 (nineteen years ago)

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/9a/ea/Joe_Longthorne__The_Genius_Of_UK_Movies-resized200.jpg

The King of Soul, shurely?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 11:08 (nineteen years ago)

I'm voting for David Ruffin. Compared to Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke or even Smokey Robinson, the raspy voiced Temptation seldom gets his due. The man had incredible range. Listen to "I Wish It Would Rain" if anyone dare doubt me.

― Charles A. Hohman (Loquacity83), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

The reason he seldom gets his due is probably because he was such an irreedemable shit of a human being (yeah, I know, Larkin's Law, but even so...). Is it true that his beating up of Tammi Terrell induced the brain tumour?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 07:24 (nineteen years ago)

five months pass...

i've spent my blizzard day listening to sam cooke and al green, so right now i'm going with that. al for sexy makeout power, and sam for sheer class and joyfulness.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Friday, 2 March 2007 19:19 (nineteen years ago)

I'll go with Sam Cooke, but only the version in "Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963." That record gives me shivers.
Otherwise I'd say Otis. As far as the complaint that Otis didn't have enough range in his voice — what the hell does this have to do with SOUL singing?

― Jazzbo, Friday, 2 March 2007 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

I still stand by Al Green. but these days I think that the best white soul singer might just be a guy no one has ever heard of--a Mississippi singer named George Soulé, who recently made a record in Nashville. he's known for a Fame single from 1973, "Get Involved," on which he sings and plays drums. (plug: my interview with George should be up on Perfect Sound Forever end of the month. it was a true labor of love to talk to George, so forgive the self-promotion--check it out, and check out Soulé's Zane CD, Take a Ride. )

― whisperineddhurt, Friday, 2 March 2007 21:58 (nineteen years ago)

Isaac Hayes has been mentioned nonce too. Sad.

Well, not really since I see no way to make the argument that he was the best soul singer of all time.

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 06:54 (nineteen years ago)

Bill Moss?

― Drooone, Monday, 5 March 2007 07:14 (nineteen years ago)

sometimes I think the most underrated soul singers are:
Gene Chandler
Philippe Wynne (recently found a copy of his first post-Spinners record, "Starting All Over." the songs aren't great, except maybe for "Lisa," where he fucks a girl perhaps too young for him, but he sings well and it's a worthy example of the Philly soul style. Now, gotta find his other solo stuff. He sings sort of like Al Green.)

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 5 March 2007 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

There are some clear runners up, but the greatest soul singer of all time is unfortunately the one who is the most obvious, and hence not too much fun to thred about... JAMES BROWN. He is so SUPERBAD, you can't even bury him!!

He has it all over Cooke in terms of originality (ever hear a Junior Parker record?).

All of the most reasonable runners up appear to have made it on here though.

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

James is/was superbad, and the greatest performer, of course. but his singing voice was not what made him so damn sublime.
Al Green.

― outdoor_miner, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

his singing voice was not what made him so damn sublime

Ah, well played... yes, this is about singing isn't it.

Well then that does open the field up a bit, my bad. Al Green is really unbelievable, I might have to concur. I don't know about David Ruffin's personal life at all, but he could really sing! Also, Smokey, Marvin, Aretha...

I think I have to pick Aretha then!

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:37 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno, I mean I love Junior Parker. He seems more like the forerunner of Bobby Bland in some ways, though, or a slightly slicker counterpart to Bland (who ought to be mentioned here if he hasn't already). I recommend everyone here should read Arthur Kempton's book Boogaloo, which has great stuff on Cooke. Kempton's line is that Cooke was a fairly second-rate songwriter but a great singer, and he makes a really good case for Gene Chandler, whose stuff I've been way into the last 6 months or so. You can get a hardcover of it for real cheap; he's a stylish writer with a few odd opinions, but what's wrong with that? His chapters on Motown and Stax are near-brilliant syntheses of other people's work, with a real point of view, and he can really write, which puts him at a remove from the otherwise great Rob Bowman, who's not a bad writer but lacks any real style.

As for James Brown, he transcends this whole thread, doesn't he? The ballad/big band records he did, like Soul on Top, really hold up, and he certainly did fine with "Georgia on My Mind" and similar material--actual songs.

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 5 March 2007 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

cool by me.., anything that promotes Chi-town soul over any other is OTM in my book.

Sounds like a cool book, might pick it up for sure... thx.

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

I'm into promoting that Kempton book these days--it probably didn't sell for shit. There was a great New York Review of Books piece by Luc Sante on it, and Xgau reviewed it too--it's on his website. And Saxby, if you like Chicago soul, then the latest Eccentric Soul comp, 2 discs of the Twinight label outta the Windy City, is right up your alley. (See the Eccentric Soul thread for more, but I think it's one of the best E.C. exhumations to date.)

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 5 March 2007 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

Claude Jeter!

― Mike McGooney-gal, Monday, 5 March 2007 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks, I did read about that Twinight thing... I already have Kent CDKEND 131, which attempts to compile the label but it would not shock me if Numero were able to outdo them. Will pick up!

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 21:43 (nineteen years ago)

thanks for reminding me of the Kent comp, Saxby. working on a piece about the Twinight stuff at the moment, and that's useful for comparison, I bet. this is why I luv ILX.

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 5 March 2007 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

southside reprazent...

― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 5 March 2007 22:38 (nineteen years ago)

joss stone

― M@tt He1ges0n, Monday, 5 March 2007 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, joss stick is quite nice-smelling sexy.

― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 07:46 (nineteen years ago)

As of today , and the semi- re-issue of his live set from 1972 on the new Stax/Concord label , I would say Johnnie Taylor must be talked about. Man was that guy in total command.

― Dimension 5ive, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 14:43 (nineteen years ago)

He is upthread or I would have gushed already.

― Saxby D. Elder, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

Johnnie Taylor, yep. Don't let people tell you his post-Stax stuff isn't good, either. "Disco 9000" is an amazing song. That new live-at-Summit Club set is indeed thrilling.

― whisperineddhurt, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

otis redding, followed by darrell hall

― yoko0no, Thursday, 8 March 2007 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

Marley, Toots Hibbert, and Jimmy Cliff belong on this thread!

― Tim Ellison, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

Agreed on Toots.

― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:57 (nineteen years ago)

Sam Cooke's gospel material is unmatched. So if that counts, I'm going with Sam.

― Billy Pilgrim, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:58 (nineteen years ago)

Bob Marley was a better soul singer than he was a reggae singer.

― Dimension 5ive, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

i'd agree with that

― Billy Pilgrim, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:21 (nineteen years ago)

I can't believe no one has mentioned ROBERTA FLACK.

I'm sort of obsessed with her at the moment.

― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:25 (nineteen years ago)

Oh how about Dionne Warwick, whose early albums are all getting re-issued by Collectors Choice this year? I've heard the first three and that shit is SUBLIME. Did you know: she got mad at Bacharach & David for messing with her image too much, yelled "Don't make me over, man!" and stormed out of the studio. A week later, they had written her her first huge hit song.

― Dimension 5ive, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

"James was superbad..."

is that a compliment? I heard a whole show on college radio for the first time and he sounded outstanding.

― CaptainLorax, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

Roberta Flack, aside from some glorious singles, was mediocre. She stole everything possible from Nina Simone and then watered it down immeasurably. Something like 50% of the songs Roberta Flack covered on her first few records had already been covered by Nina Simone - "To Love Somebody," "Suzanne," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (live only), "Just Like A Woman," "Do What You Gotta Do" . . . but more than that it was the general sound (albeit muted) and 'personality' that she really copped from Simone, without the politics, controversial stances and sincerity. This wouldn't have bothered me if she'd had the range, talent or personality of Nina Simone (or even the prolific output of high quality material in their respective primes), but what made Simone so intriguing was totally lacking in Roberta Flack.

Of course, this is probably why Flack was huge and Nina Simone was generally a commercial disaster. Flack had four wonderful hit singles - "Where Is The Love," "Killing Me Softly With His Song," "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," but Simone had half a dozen times as many tunes which could have been hits (being somewhat psychotic did not help her much), and Simone's own compositions outclassed Flack's by a mile. (Compare Simone's self- or co-penned "Young Gifted And Black" or "Mississippi Goddam," "Four Women," "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl," "I Was Just A Stupid Dog To Them," "Nobody's Fault But Mine" to anything Flack wrote, and this is obvious.)

I vote for Nina Simone - great voice, talented musicians, wonderful composer, politically right-on, funky, jazzy, churchy and soulful and utterly unique. Greatest soul musician ever.

― deedeedeextrovert, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

You know, it never really occurred to me to compare the two. Nina is probably my favorite singer - period, in any medium, but I think Flack's voice and interpretive skills tend take songs in a totally different direction than Nina does (Nina's do?). Flack = elegance and beauty, with a slight air of melancholy, whereas Nina = total despair. I mean, just listening to their takes on "Just Like a Woman" back to back makes the difference rather obvious.

She may not have had the talent as a writer, but I disagree that Flack lacked vocal chops - she has incredible range she can do soulful and funky ("Compared to What")and soul-stirring ("I Told Jesus"), as well the the sweet, restrained, wistful vocals she's generally known for. To me, her first four albums are all classic - it's basically all I've been listening to for the past few weeks so that may have something to do with it. I wasn't aware there was a rivalry of sorts between the two heh.

And Flack may not've been as radical as Nina, but she does have her share of political tunes (though admittedly they aren't delivered with the sheer force and passion of Nina) - "Compared to What," "Business Goes On As Usual", "Tryin'Times", etc....

― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 04:42 (nineteen years ago)

alton ellis!

― Granny Dainger, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

If Colin Bluntstone counts as a soul singer I might have voted for him. But I like Bluntstone best when what he is singing is not particularly soulful.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

http://redkelly.blogspot.com/
Wed. March 12, 2008 posting

You know how I feel about O.V. Wright. Arguably the greatest soul singer that ever lived, he's been featured on these pages many times.

My good friend in Memphis, Preston Lauterbach, ran a piece on his excellent site Backroads of American Music about how Wright's contemporary (and fellow member of Gospel quartet The Harmony Echoes) James Carr just recently received a headstone at his final resting place in the New Park Cemetery in Memphis. The monument was apparently purchased through the anonymous donations of Soul fans like yourself.

Preston mentioned the story on the Southern Soul Group, and pointed out that O.V. Wright "still lies in an unmarked grave nearly 30 years after his premature death." The ensuing response has been overwhelming, with people far and wide offering to chip in and help purchase a fitting memorial for this incredible talent. Preston spoke with O.V.'s widow, Alberta, this afternoon. She said that after O.V. passed in 1980, Willie Mitchell paid the funeral expenses. The gravestone was supposed to be covered by insurance, but somehow it just never came through. She was gratified to hear that there were people out there who cared enough about her husband to join together and finally make it happen.

This amazing record we have here today shows just how deep O.V.'s Gospel roots were. An adaptation of the traditional hymn Soon I Will Be Done, it was produced by Poppa Willie in 1973.

It gives me chills.

Preston and I (along with fellow Southern Soul Group member Ricky Stevens) have joined forces to try and make this dream a reality by establishing The O.V. Wright Memorial Fund. You can donate to this fund via PayPal (or any credit card) by clicking on the image (or the link) below:

― curmudgeon, Friday, 14 March 2008 01:03 (eighteen years ago)

the name that came immediately to mind when i read the thread was Marvin. though i think al, otis, sam, aretha, and donny are all acceptable answers too. i dont know if i would have considered nina a soul singer straight up but if she counts, she should be on that list too.

no love for diana ross? i mean, she killed it on a large number of tracks. and someone i like for his vocals more than anything else about his music is eddie kendricks.

also, i know shes much more recent than most of these other choices but i love sade.

― pipecock, Friday, 14 March 2008 01:50 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

Betty Lavette needs more love!

― Granny Dainger, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 20:10 (seventeen years ago)

Lotsa rock critics give her love. I think she should go out and hit the chitlin soul circuit and try to reach that Malaco/Ecko/etc. audience...Chitlin Circuit Double-entendre -filled Soul 2004 (and onward) Theodis Easley's "Stand Up In It" is a song of the year

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 21:08 (seventeen years ago)

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