Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American Grammy Award-winning 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. In 2001, Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer. wiki

THE recent death of Hall of Fame inductee Solomon Burke marked the turn of another page signalling the imminent closure of a chapter in American cultural history, as Burke was one of the last performers of his generation who was still active. Burke was actually on his way to an engagement in Amsterdam, to promote his latest album, when he suffered an undiagnosed crisis which led to his death at Schiphol Airport.

Burke began his working life as a preacher in his native Philadelphia and enjoyed some 55 years recording both gospel and secular music, apparently without the conflicts which often plagued other performers of his generation who attempted to straddle both worlds simultaneously.
The self-appointed ‘King of Rock ‘N’ Soul’ was, perhaps best known for composing the uptempo hit, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, which was covered by the Rolling Stones and fellow soul shouter Wilson Pickett during the 1960s and later provided a highlight of the 1980 Blues Brothers comedy adventure movie. Burke’s reputation was, however, primarily built on his delivery of heart-wrenching torch songs, such as Cry To Me (utilised to great effect in the smash hit Dirty Dancing movie and theatre production) and Down In The Valley.
Burke’s onstage persona as a three-piece suited Don Juan, resplendent in elaborately styled facial hair and bedecked in gaudy jewellery, helped establish the soulful lover man caricature which has become a staple of American R&B performers from Teddy Prendergrast right through to Keith Sweat and onto Trey Songz. Conversely, Burke consolidated his reputation as a variegated and versatile performer with regular forays into the country and western medium. He has also collaborated with performers from across a gamut of genres, including the likes of Willie Mitchell, Buddy Miller, Blind Boys of Alabama, Dolly Parton, Zucchero, Junkie XL, Emmylou Harris, Jools Holland and many others.
Burke was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and awarded the 2003 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Don’t Give Up On Me. Burke’s music and image forms a crucial component in the sub-plot of Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel High Fidelity.
Nevertheless, despite the acclaim he has latterly received as a founding member of Armet Eretgun’s legendary roster at Atlantic Records, Burke never ingrained himself into the mainstream consciousness to the level of some of his contemporaries, notably Otis Redding or Sam Cooke.
The larger than life soul pioneer met Martin Luther King several times and trained as a mortician; one of Burke’s sideline ventures saw him handling the responsibilities of an undertaker and his business portfolio includes a thriving funeral parlour in Los Angeles.
*Solomon Burke (March 21 1940 – October 10 2010) is survived by 21 children (14 daughters and seven sons) and an estimated 90 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Mike Massive

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