Solomon Burke~ "No Man Walk's Alone"
Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People.[2]Burke was known as "King Solomon," the "King of Rock 'n' Soul," and as the "Bishop of Soul,"[3] and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul,"[1] and as "the most unfairly overlooked singer of soul's golden age."[4]
Burke was "the founding father of what was defined as soul music in America in the 1960s,"[5] and "a major architect of 1960s soul, infusing post-World War II R&B with [his] gospel roots."[6]
And "a key transitional figure bridging R&B and soul,"[7][8][9] Burke's "sound was a bold merger of orchestrated sophistication and countryish, down-home grit, and his best singles built a Gothic sense of drama and heartbreak.
These tracks bridged the gap between the more mannered mainstream rhythm and blues of the Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller songwriting team of the 1950s, as exemplified by the Coasters and Drifters, and the gruffer Southern styles of the later '60s, as heard on the Stax Records sides of Otis Redding and Sam & Dave.[10]
At one time considered by Jerry Wexler to be "the greatest male soul singer of all time,"[1][11][12][13]
Burke was "a singer whose smooth, powerful articulation and mingling of sacred and profane themes helped define soul music in the early 1960s."[14]
Burke drew from his roots: gospel, soul, and blues, as well as developing his own style at a time when R&B, and rock were both still in their infancy.[15]
Artistically, Burke was influenced by the music of the church, as well as by Little Richard.[16]
Described as both "Rabelaisian"[17] and also as a "spiritual enigma,"[18] "Perhaps more than any other artist, the ample figure of Solomon Burke symbolized the ways that spirituality and commerce, ecstasy and entertainment, sex and salvation, individualism and brotherhood, could blend in the world of 1960s soul music."[19]
During the 55 years that he performed professionally, Burke released 38 studio albums on more than 17 record labels and had 35 songs that charted, including 26 songs that made the Billboard R&B charts, including "Got to Get You Off My Mind" that was #1 in the summer of the 1965, and an additional 9 songs that were only listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 1964's seminal “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”.[20]
Burke had over 30 songs make the Cash Box R&B charts, with "Got to Get You Off My Mind" reaching #1, and 23 that charted on their pop chart hits, with seven making Cash Box's Top 40.[21]
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.
By 2005 Burke was credited with selling 17 million albums.[15][22][23]
Rolling Stone ranked Burke as #89 on its 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."[24]
On February 13, 2011, in his first live appearance at the Grammy Awards, Mick Jagger, who had been influenced by Burke, paid tribute to Burke in the Grammy Awards "In Memoriam' segment[25] by singing "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," backed by Raphael Saadiq and his band.[26]
| Solomon Burke | |
|---|---|
 Solomon Burke, April 19, 2008 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke |
| Also known as | "The King of Rock 'N Soul" "The Bishop of Soul" "King Solomon" "The Wonder Boy preacher" "Lord Solomon" |
| Born | March 21, 1940[1] West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 2010 (aged 70) Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands |
| Genres | Blues, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll |
| Occupations | Preacher, singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1955–2010 |
| Labels | Apollo Records Atlantic Records Bell Records MGM Records ABC Dunhill Records Chess Records Savoy Records Rounder Records Fat Possum Records ANTI- Shout! Factory E1 Music |
| Website | www.thekingsolomonburke.com |
Early life and influences
James Solomon McDonald[27] (later Solomon McDonald Vincent Burke)[28] was born on the upper floor of the home of his maternal grandmother, Eleanor Alma "Mother" Moore (born about 1900 in Florence, South Carolina; died 19 December 1954 in Philadelphia)[18][29] in a row house at 3036 Mt Vernon Street, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[30]On Thursday, March 21, 1940.[1][31] Burke was the oldest child of Josephine Moore (born 1 April 1920 in Panama City, Florida; died 27 August 1990 in Germantown, Pennsylvania[disambiguation needed])[32][33] who had been a nurse, taught kindergarten for five years on the School District of Philadelphia,[34] and been a concert singer,[28] and an unknown father.
At birth he was consecrated a bishop by his grandmother in the Solomon's Temple, a congregation of the United House of Prayer For All People, founded by her in her home about 1928 in the Black Bottom section of West Philadelphia,[35][36] after she had a vision indicating: "A child shall lead you." He was the godson of Daddy Grace.[37]
In 2006 Burke describes his birth: "I was born upstairs while church was going on downstairs. And nobody heard me, so I guess I was in tune. The band was playing. People shouting and having a good time. I have the trombones and tubas and tambourines and guitars and pianos in my soul. It’s just a normal reaction to me, to hear that rhythm, to hear that beat."[38]
Burke credits his grandmother as his primary spiritual and musical influence: "She was my mentor, a spiritual medium directly associated with Daddy Grace and Father Divine. She used to have a sign in her home. It read 'Jesus Never Fails.'
That's when and what I began to preach."[39] In 2005 Burke recalled: "My grandmother was born a prophetess and born a great seer, and she was and still is my influence. Her words have never faded—they become stronger. Everything that she predicted in my lifetime has come true and is still coming true to this day."[23]
Burke revealed: "My grandmother told me of the things I would do in life. That I would travel the world and see things I had never seen before; that I would be able to perform for millions of people and not see them; that I would be able to go places that I had never been and may never go again; that I would have a large family."[40]
Burke also indicated: "She was my greatest encouragement. She would make me listen to the radio: classical, country, jazz, Paul Robeson, Count Basie. And she told me to copy them and learn to phrase and project a song.
She was my teacher. I never had no music training. She gave me the promise of a new life, not just as a singer, but as a person alone in the world with nothing but Jesus. All the great singers came out of the church. Jackie Wilson. Sam Cooke. Brook Benton.
Your first duty is to give it to God."[36] Burke recalled in 2005: “Ever since I was a kid, I was at home, ‘lookin’ at the radio. “My grandmother made sure we listened to two hours of music a week—the Top 40, Perry Como, Dean Martin and Gene Autry, who I just loved as a kid.
He’d come on the radio singing, ‘I’m back in the saddle again,’ and my grandmother would always say, ‘Listen to the pronunciation, listen to the diction — you hear every word clearly."[23] According to Burke, his mother introduced him to Jimmy Reed and Ray Charles as well as that era's king of smooth, Billy Eckstein. "
She played all these records on our Admiral combination radio-record-player-TV. For that reason alone, I looked forward to doing chores – so that I could hear their music."[39] Other musical influences included bluesmen Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, gospel queen Clara Ward, and Big Joe Turner.[12]
At the age of 7 Solomon preached "He is My Life,"[28] the first of many sermonettes, in Solomon's Temple,[36][38] In his youth, "he was so charismatic in the pulpit that he was known as the Boy Wonder Preacher,"[41] and by all accounts, "young Burke was a frantic sermonizer, spellbinding in his delivery."[42]
Influenced by Superman,[43] "the first sign of a royal persona was evident in the cape that he wore only on Sundays, made from his "blankie"[41] by his grandmother.[44]
From age 12 Burke became a pastor of the congregation,[45] and also appeared for 15 minutes each week (later expanded to 30 minutes) on WDAS (then 1400 AM) with Randy Dixon, the African-American host of "Ebony Hall of Fame."[46][47]
At age 12 Burke hosted a gospel show on WHAT-AM, an R&B and gospel radio station,[1] mixing both song and sermon in broadcasts from Solomon's Temple.[48]
On weekends Burke traveled with a truck and tent, to Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas to carry on the spiritual crusade of his church.[18]
From an early age Burke struggled with a "fondness for food" and with obesity, indicating in 2005: "I was 160 [pounds] when I was 9,"[49] and recalled that "at nine I passed for 16."[2]
In 1949 Vincent Burke (born 1 December 1917 in Philadelphia; died March 1978 in Philadelphia),[32][50] a 130 pound Hebrew-speaking black Jew, the son of an immigrant father from Kingston, Jamaica,[18] who worked as a chicken plucker at Jake's Chicken Market, a kosher butcher shop at 40th and Girard,[1] as well as a carpenter, who was a guitar player,[28] became his stepfather.[22] After this Sol changed his name to Solomon McDonald Vincent Burke, but was often called "Sol" by family and friends.[28]
Burke later described his stepfather: "My father was very special to me. He was a very spiritual man. He was a black rabbi, who would go to upper Pennsylvania and purchase chicken, turkeys and ducks.”[51]
Solomon Burke had six younger siblings – a sister, Laurena Burke-Corbin (born 23 June 1946),[28] and five brothers: Elec Edward "Alec" (born 16 February 1948),[52] Vladimir H. "Laddie" (born 31 July 1949),[53] Mario "Chuck" (born 13 September 1953),[52] Daniel S. "Danny" (born 10 March 1955),[52] and Jolester R. M. Burke (born 24 September 1958).[28][30][52][54]
From an early age Burke worked to supplement his family's income. Burke recalled: "I used to deliver grocery orders in a little wagon I made out of fish boxes.
When I was seven, I sold newspapers out of my own newsstand on the corner of 40th and Lancaster. I had the first 99-cent car wash, which was located at 40th and Wallace outside Al's Barber Shop.
We had it there because he was the only one who would let us use his water. We could wash your car in 20 minutes.
I had four or five guys, gave 'em each a nickel for each car.[1] Another briefly held early job was as a hot dog seller at Eddie's Meat Market, where his friend Chubby Checker also worked.[1]
Source: Wikipedia
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