Chapter 5:
Soul & Motown
Soul Music
Many soul singers had deep root in gospel
music
– Sam Cooke started out, like many soul
singers, in a gospel group
– Ray Charles used gospel tunes and
techniques in his R & B songs
Two of the most dominant figures in the
story of soul are Aretha Franklin and (The
Godfather of Soul) James Brown
Sam Cooke
B. 1/22/31, D. 12/11/64
Merged gospel & secular themes and
provided a foundation for the soul genre
– Son of a Baptist minister, was a top
gospel vocalist by 1951
1956 - So not to offend gospel fans, he
released his first single (Lovable) as
Dale Cooke
Dropped from his label for leaving the
Soul Stirrers
– 1957- released You Send Me #1
1960-65 – was a mainstay in the Top
40 (Chain Gang #2, 1960)
12/11/64 – shot to death by his hotel
manager, after attempting to rape a
young woman and turning on the
manager
– ruled a justifiable homicide
Last song the posthumous
A Change Is Gonna Come
#31 (answer to the Civil
Rights movement)
Groundbreaking black
businessman – owned his
own label & management
firm
1986 - Inducted into the
RRHoF
Ray Charles Robinson
B. 9/23/30, D. 6/10/04
Virtually invented soul by combining
the fervor of gospel, secular lyrics,
narratives of country & the musical
arrangement of big band jazz
Raised in Greenville, Florida.
– Contracted glaucoma at 6, which
untreated left him blind
Studied musical composition while in
school 1937-45
– Father died in 1940
– Mother died in 1945
– Left school to work in dance bands
once he was without a guardian
Dropped his last name to avoid
confusion w/ the boxer Sugar Ray
Robinson
1951 – scored his first Top 10 hit
Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand (#5
R&B)
1953 – signed with Atlantic Records
1955 – I’ve Got A Woman (#2 R&B)
became his first national hit
What’d I Say (#6, #1 R&B, 1959)
becomes his first million seller
In late 1959, Charles signs with ABC
Records and moves into the pop
market
– 1960 – Georgia On My Mind #1
– 1961 – Hit the Road, Jack #1
– 1962 – I Can’t Stop Loving You #1
1965 – Charles is arrested for heroin
possession and cleaned up
1966 – Charles returns to music but is
moving away from rock
1978 – Georgia on My Mind
became the state song of
Georgia
In the 1980s he turned to
country music and appeared
in several movies and tv
shows
1986 – Inducted into the
RRHoF
1990 – introduced to younger
audience in Diet Pepsi
commercials
Won 12 Grammy Awards
1988 – Lifetime Achievement
Grammy Award
Fathered 12 children by 9
women