11 greatest soul legends of all times

Ebony, June, 2003 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

SAY their names, and it immediately recalls a time, a place, an event, a special date, or a special moment. Say the names out loud: Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, the original Supremes, the original Temptations and Smokey Robinson--they all command R.E.S.P.E.C.T. All were listed al the top of the ballots of the editors and experts we surveyed. Other artists came close and deserve recognition, but these 11 names consistently led all lists.

What distinguishes this group of artists is that they transcended all genres and touched a chord that vibrates through the soul of the Black community. And it is significant that so many of today's playwrights and screenwriters are zeroing in on these musical geniuses in ploys, movies and books, to give voice to a new generation.

In some cases the greatest soul legends supported a movement, in other cases they started their own movement. But all shared a genius, which has not been topped. Few of the current pack of chart-topping artists even attempt to cover their classic songs, because once these legends sang a song--they owned it, and it was, as one of them wrote, "signed, sealed, delivered."

All or almost all paid the price of greatness. Most shared a grits-to-glory story, steeped in the Southern tradition of producing great singers. Most were born in the South; virtually all sang gospel music first and virtually all have or had personal lives filled with trauma and turmoil. Four of them died young and/or tragically; two were shot to death. All of the original Temptations are dead except one; one of the original Supremes died heartbroken too soon.

Despite the problems, these 11 giants of soul music Went from tragedy to triumph--several times--and their music, in the words of Jackie Wilson's hit, keeps "lifting [us] higher and higher."

ARETHA FRANKLIN. She is the undisputed Queen of Soul and has had a long reign--over four decades. Born in 1942 in Memphis, Tenn., she moved to Detroit as a toddler with her father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin. Music has not been the same since a teenage girl did her first solo at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church in 1956. For the next four and a half decades, through 40 different dance crazes, Motown, disco, gangsta rap and hip-hop, she continues to reign. Her hits? Too many to name, but her signature song is "Respect," which hit No. 1 in 1967 and won her first Grammy. Also popular were "I Never Loved A Man," "Chain of Fools," "Natural Woman," "Don't Play That Song" and "Amazing Grace." Long live the Queen!

SAM COOKE, 1931-1964. One of the greatest of all soul singers, Sam Cooke began his career where Aretha and Whitney began, in the church. Born Samuel Cook in Clarksdale, Miss., he grew up in Chicago (where his father was a minister) and began his professional career with several gospel-singing groups, notably the Soul Stirrers. With his warm, smooth delivery blending spirituality and sensuality, Cooke is considered by many to be the quintessential soul singer. His top hit, "You Send Me," was the No. 1. hit in 1957, knocking Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" off the top of the charts. Other hits include "Chain Gang," "Only Sixteen," "Cupid," "Twisting the Night Away," "Bring It On Home To Me" and "A Change Is Gonna Come," issued posthumously. Cooke was shot to death in South Los Angeles in 1964 by a motel manager.

JACKIE WILSON, 1934-1984. Anyone who saw Jackie Wilson perform doesn't have to ask how he got the name "Mr. Excitement." An electrifying showman with a powerful upper register, Wilson was a top hit maker from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s. Born Jack Leroy Wilson in Detroit, he had a string of hits, including "Reet Petite," "To Be Loved," "Lonely Teardrops," "That's Why I Love You So," "Baby Workout" and "Higher and Higher." Wilson was shot and seriously wounded by a female fan in 1961 and recovered, but suffered a heart attack onstage in 1975 while singing "Lonely Teardrops." He lapsed into a coma, suffered severe brain damage and was hospitalized until his death in early 1984.

OTIS REDDING, 1941-1967. Nearly 30 years after Redding's untimely death at age 26 in a plane crash, "The Very Best of Otis Redding" was released and promptly went gold. That should indicate the interest in a powerful singer and songwriter who died too soon. Redding was born in Dawson, Ga., and his father was a Baptist minister. Known for hits "These Arms of Mine," "Mr. Pitiful," "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)," and "Try A Little Tenderness," his biggest hit was released the month after his death, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay. "He was also a songwriter who wrote and recorded the song, "Respect" which earned a gold record for Aretha Franklin. A family man, Redding married his childhood sweetheart and they have four children. His wife, Zelma, who still lives in the Macon, Ga.-area, has never remarried.

Ray Charles

As one writer noted, Ray Charles is both a national treasurer and an international phenomenon. He was born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany, Ga., in 1930, but later dropped the Robinson in deference to boxer (Sugar) Ray Robinson. He was born poor, but not blind. He lost his sight by age 7 and attended a special school in St. Augustine, Fla. He became a professional musician at age 16, and his first big hit was "I Got A Woman" in 1955. Since then the hits and accolades have spanned the decades: "What'd I Say," "Georgia On My Mind" and "America the Beautiful." In 1979 his rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" was approved as the official state song of Georgia.