Biography of Solomon Burke

Musically and corporeally imposing, Burke was almost as important as he says he was. His account of how he invented soul music is entertaining if fanciful, but even when SB's BS count is lowered, there is no doubt he was present at the creation of '60s soul music -- and at least partially responsible for it.Starting as "Solomon the Boy Wonder Preacher" in Philadelphia, he had been recording for six years when he finally broke through with "Just out of Reach" in 1961. Burke's best recordings probably date from the early '60s, when he was working with producer Bert Berns. Songs like "Cry to Me," "I'm Hanging up My Heart for You," "Goodbye Baby," and "The Price" collectively formed the keynote address for soul music. Some of the arrangements sound unnecessarily ornamented today, but the passion Burke brought to those recordings was that of the Boy Wonder Preacher. Live, he's still impressive, as recent recordings attest. ~ Colin Escott