December 15, 2001 Rufus Thomas Jr., R&B, funk, and soul singer, died. Thomas was born March 27, 1917 in Cayce, Mississippi, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. By the age of ten he was performing in amateur productions. For 22 years until 1963, Thomas worked in a textile plant while pursuing a career as a [...]
Tag Archives | soul singer
January 19th in African American History – Wilson Pickett
January 19, 2006 Wilson Pickett, soul singer and songwriter, died. Pickett was born March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama. He grew up singing in church choirs. In 1955, he moved to Detroit, Michigan where his forceful and passionate style of singing was developed. In 1959, he joined the Falcons and in 1962 they released “I [...]
January 6th in African American History – Louis Allen Rawls
January 6, 2006 Louis Allen Rawls, soul, jazz, and blues singer, died. Rawls was born December 1, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. He sang with Sam Cooke in a 1950s gospel group. He also sang background on Cooke’s recording of “Bring it on Home to Me” in 1962 and that same year released his first single [...]
July 3rd in African American History – Fontella Bass
July 3, 1940 Fontella Bass, soul singer, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Bass showed great musical talent at an early age. At the age of five, she was providing piano accompaniment for her grandmother’s singing and by the time she was nine she was accompanying her mother on gospel tours throughout the South. At [...]
May 31st in African American History – Johnnie Harrison Taylor
May 31, 2000 Johnnie Harrison Taylor, gospel, blues and soul singer, died. Taylor was born May 5, 1937 in Crawfordsville, Arkansas. In 1957, he was hired to replace Sam Cooke in the gospel group the Soul Stirrers and in 1962 he recorded his first solo, “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.” In 1966, Taylor moved [...]
April 13th in African American History – Albert Greene
April 13, 1946 Albert Greene (Al Green), gospel and soul singer, was born in Forrest City, Arkansas. Green started performing at the age of 10 and in 1967 recorded his debut album, “Back Up Train.” His breakthrough occurred in 1970 with the release of the album “Al Green Gets Next to You” which contained such [...]