Solomon Burke - Cry To Me | Soul Sunday

Опубликовано 16 ноября 2025, 15:00

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

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