Solomon Burke - Cry To Me | Soul Sunday

Literally and figuratively, singer *Solomon Burke* was a huge figure in American popular music. A gospel singer in his youth, he eased into a more secular sound that expanded on R&B to forge a breakthrough style he dubbed “soul music.” Always physically substantial, he grew to a heroic size befitting his honorific, “King of Rock ‘n’ Soul.” Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler hailed him as “the greatest male soul singer of all time.” Born James Solomon McDonald in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1940, he acquired Burke as a family name from his stepfather. As a boy he preached and sang at his grandmother’s church, which led to radio and roadshow performances and membership in the Gospel Cavaliers, a quartet. At 15 he signed with a label and began to record, including sides with saxophonists King Curtis and Lester Young. In 1960, he signed with Atlantic Records and began having chart success with titles like “Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms),” “Cry to Me,” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.” Burke was the first soul artist to cover a Bob Dylan song when he released “Maggie’s Farm” as the B-side to “Tonight’s the Night.” He developed a particularly enthusiastic following in the South. His initial discomfort with straddling the line between gospel and secular music faded, and he was able to bring a “churchly authority” to material whose vibe had vexed him. His string of Atlantic hits sustained and advanced the label in its growth years. Burke’s performances, with their high-energy, participatory audiences and driving accompaniment, cemented his popularity as a touring musician. Even when his star dimmed and his presence on the charts slid, he was assured of full houses and ecstatic fans. He rode out the decades after his ‘60s heyday working the concert circuit and stepping from label to label. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 89th among the 100 greatest singers ever. He married four times, fathered 21 children, and passed away in 2010.—Michael Dolan *Solomon Burke - Cry To Me* Album: Rock 'N Soul Released in July 1964 on Atlantic _Written By:_ Bert Berns _Performed By:_ Solomon Burke -- vocals Leon Cohen -- alto sax Jesse Powell -- tenor sax Hank Jones -- piano Robert Moseley -- organ Phil Kraus -- vibes Don Arnone, Al Caiola, Bucky Pizzarelli, & Everett Barksdale -- guitars Art Davis -- bass Gary Chester -- drums _Produced By:_ Bert Berns, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd _Recorded at_ Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1961 Subscribe to the Rhino Channel! https://Rhino.lnk.to/YouTubeSubID Check Out Our Favorite Playlists: Classic Rock https://Rhino.lnk.to/YTClassicRockID 80s Hits https://Rhino.lnk.to/YT80sHitsID 80s Hard Rock https://Rhino.lnk.to/YT80sHardRockID 80s Alternative https://Rhino.lnk.to/YT80sAlternativeID 90s Hits https://Rhino.lnk.to/YT90sHitsID Stay connected with RHINO on... Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RHINO/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rhino_records Twitter https://twitter.com/Rhino_Records https://www.rhino.com/ RHINO is the official YouTube channel of the greatest music catalog in the world. Founded in 1978, Rhino is the world's leading pop culture label specializing in classic rock, soul, and 80's and 90's alternative. The vast Rhino catalog of more than 5,000 albums, videos, and hit songs features material by Warner Music Group artists such as Van Halen, Madonna, Duran Duran, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Doors, Chicago, Black Sabbath, John Coltrane, Yes, Alice Cooper, Linda Ronstadt, The Ramones, The Monkees, Carly Simon, and Curtis Mayfield, among many others. Check back for classic music videos, live performances, hand-curated playlists, the Rhino Podcast, and more!