Mr. Solomon Burke-a Great Soul Singer Recently Lost

  James Solomon McDonald was born in Philadelphia, Pa on March 21st, 1940. His early career began in church at the age of 7. His grandmother was a Christian but also a spiritual medium. She encouraged him to preach.  She also influenced his musical knowledge, making sure he listened to at least 2 hours of music each week.

  When he was 12, he became a pastor and also began to host a gospel radio program in Philadelphia. When he was not preaching, he was attending school or working at a car wash or grocery store. He also helped his uncle with his mortuary business.

  Around the same time, he began to learn the guitar. He enjoyed listening to a variety of music which included country cowboy music such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers tunes. Later in life, he would record an exclusively country album, “Nashville”. He also loved the blues and enjoyed John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.

  Apollo Records had him recording for them at age 14 where he got enough exposure to be recognized as a potential hitmaker. Atlantic Records signed him in 1960 and the following year, he recorded “Just Out of Reach of My Two Empty Arms” which had originally been a country song. It became very popular with the R&B and pop audience and made it into the top 40. Later there were 5 more top 40 songs, “Cry To Me” being the most famous. The others were ”Got To Get You Off Of My Mind” (written by him after the death of Sam Cooke), “You’re Good For Me”, “Tonight’s The Night” and “If You Need Me.”

  From a young age, Solomon Burke had problems with his weight. Throughout the years, he became quite heavy and needed to have a chair on stage during his performances. His concerts were always gospel flavored and his penchant for preaching was always obvious. Despite having to sing from a chair, he performed with energy and feeling.

  In 1963 a deejay named Fred Robinson called Solomon Burke the King of Rock ‘n’ Soul and gave him a crown and cape which he often wore on stage. The chair he sat in when performing was made to resemble a throne. In later years, he would often wear a cowboy hat on stage instead.

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  After several years with Atlantic Records, he recorded briefly with a number of other record companies and toured a lot.  In 2000, he performed for the Vatican. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock’N'Roll Hall of Fame and won a Grammy in 2003 for best contemporary blues album, “Don’t Give Up on Me.” In 2006 came the album “Nashville” for which he performed duets with artists like Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton. In 2008 he continued to tour and was a featured performer at Bonnaroo and Glastonbury.

  At the age of 70, he had been traveling to the Netherlands with plans to perform with De Dijk, a Dutch rock band. During the trip, he sadly passed away. On October 10th, 2010 came the news that the great Solomon Burke was dead. His death was ruled from natural causes.

See also music related: The Incredible Johnny Cash