Solomon Burke, a grammy-winner and hall-of-fame inductee has died of natural causes at Amsterdam airport, his family confirms. The singer, who is credited as being the father of ‘sweet soul’, was in his early seventies.
Writer of "The Black Music History of Los Angeles: Its Roots," Tom Reed commented that "He was the founding father of what was defined as soul music in America in the 1960s. He was a major player.”
Burke was a popular singer and songwriter, with hits such as “Tonight’s The Night” as well as “Cry to Me” which featured in the much-remembered seductive scene of “Dirty Dancing” in 1987. One of his biggest hits, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” was later covered by Wilson Pickett and the Rolling Stones and featured in the 1980’s film “The Blues Brothers.”
Aside from his soulful singing, Burke was also a famed soulful preacher. Since he was 7 he performed captivating services, and later in life formed his own church “The House of God for All People.” In his teens he hosted a gospel radio program in Philadelphia, which is how is how he was discovered as a vocal talent.
He was an eccentric character, who greeted guests from his home in Los Angeles on a red velvet throne, and often performed on velvet-covered thrones of various colors. His ‘regal’ habits started young, when he used to wear a cape made from a blanket on Sundays.
Burke is survived by seven sons and 14 daughters, 90 grandchildren as well as 19 great grandchildren.
