Soul Legend Solomon Burke Dead at 70
This news item is just in today, from Patrick Doyle at the Rolling Stone website…
Singer of Atlantic R&B Classics Dies on Plane at Amsterdam Airport
Solomon Burke, the soul legend behind Atlantic R&B classics including “Cry to Me” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” died early this morning after arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. He was 70.
Known as “The King of Rock and Soul,” Burke has been covered by artists including Otis Redding, Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones. In the last decade, Burke enjoyed resurgence as one of the last living soul legends. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and won his first Grammy in 2003. Read the rest of this entry »
Solomon Burke – “Cry to Me” (1962)
Sadly, Solomon Burke passed away today at the age of 70. The King of Rock ‘n’ Soul had just released a great album this year, Nothing’s Impossible, recorded with Willie Mitchell (who passed away soon after the sessions ended), and was due to release another new album later this month, Hold on Tight. One of the greatest soul singers of all time, Burke never became as big of a star as he deserved to be, but his recorded legacy will remain forever. I post this classic in tribute to him. God bless Mr. Burke…
Alan Bisbort – “The Shags” (2008)
Another article from The Hartford Advocate about another obscure 1960s garage band from CT (although they were big within the state). This time it’s The Shags (not to be confused with the all-female Shaggs). They were featured on a great Sundazed comp a few years back called Don’t Press Your Luck! (talked about in the article). This comes from Feb. 21, 2008 by Alan Bisbort…
Connecticut‘s biggest band of the 60’s is featured on a new anthology from Trod Nossel Studios.
To hear Tom Violante tell it, the Nutmeg State got its rocks off in the late 1960s. Violante was a vocalist and guitarist in the Shags, one of the state’s most popular bands. They were so popular, in fact, that some members of the band took stage names (Violante’s was Tommy Roberts).
“We all had stage names then, to prevent people from finding out where we lived,” he said. “We were popular Read the rest of this entry »
The Beat Patrol 