March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010
They don't make soul singers like that anymore, and they really should. Music wouldn't suck so fucking horribly if they did. I'd blockquote good stuff from the New York Times article, but it's all good. If you care about music, you'll read the whole thing.
One of the most staggeringly stupid things that I've seen is that record companies expect your sympathy over how the illegal downloading of music is screwing them. What they don't want you to know is how the music business has spent decades screwing the true geniuses who poured their hearts and souls into the music that made the business. True heroes like Solomon Burke were financially fucked over for decades while the suits at record and publishing companies got rich from their sweat, blood and work.
While I believe that illegal downloading actually is stealing, I don't decry it all that much, given the way that labels treat their artists. I've heard too many stories of artists like Solomon Burke being raped by the labels to care at all what happens to the music business. Besides, when was the last time that a major label released anything as cool as a Solomon Burke single? A long, long time ago is how long.
But Solomon is different. You should go out and buy some of his records. After all, he had 21 children, 90 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. He was a prolific artist, on stage and off and you teenagers should appreciate that. How can you not admire a 70 year old with 109 grandchildren and great grandchildren?
Solomon Burke was 70 years old and just starting to get reasonable gigs again, thanks to a recent Rolling Stone profile on him that you should also read.
Here are some covers of his greatest song. You might recognize the artists.
And if you're of a certain age, you might remember the Blues Brothers version.
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