This article was co-written by Georgi Dimitrov (geodimitrov.blogspot.com)
Music, this is something we can’t live without. And what about music with a
soul? Yes, I’m referring to one of most exciting and touching genres of modern
music: the soul. Here - on the arena of emotions and strong feelings -
one of the best artists and their music were born. So, I would simply like to
show you the top ten soul singers with a big soul.
1. Etta James
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| Etta James |
Absolutely one of the queens of soul music. She was born in the distant
1938 in the city of angels - Los Angeles. The unique
voice, her charisma, charm and character led her way to success. But very
often, especially on the way of a rising Star, there are many, unwanted
companions: barely 21 she was a heroin addict and her way was
thorny afterward. After the huge success of hits like “All I Could Do Was Cry”,
“At Last”, “Trust In Me” with Chess Records label, she enters a rehab. Isn’t
exactly this which steels one’s soul and make it
capable of “speaking” through the language of arts? Difficult childhood,
unshared love, drug addiction, depressions… or vice versa? Just because she
gave to people away her soul, she suffered all these… We can only guess!
The most soulful song that Etta has ever sung is definitely the hit “I’d Rather Go Blind” (co-written
by Ellington Jordan, “Fugi”). This song reveals everything -
every single shudder, every single pain, every sigh of something unshared,
lost… When Leonard Chess (the owner of Chess Records) heard Etta singing the
song for the first time, he had left the studio crying.
How come to make a tough man like Chess cry? Only one word - a soul...
2. Marvin Gaye
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| Marvin Gaye |
Does he need an introduction? One exceptionally controversial personality
that has given very much to the world, the music and soul, but also has taken a
lot of the people around him. Unfortunately, the great
musician was a drug addict, addicted to sex and a maniac suffering
many complexes. For example, he was ashamed of his last name “Gay” and added an
“e” to his stage name.
However, at the beginning of the 70’s Gaye was making the best music in the
soul genre, defining soul’s searches in “ What’s Going On” (1971) and
style’s sensitivity in “Let’s Get It On” (1973). After a bitter breakup with
Motown, Gaye bounced back with the incredible album Midnight Love in
1982 which includes the single “Sexual Feeling”. Thus, the
musician proved that the real soul and the technologies could walk hand by
hand, if you were one of the best singers on Earth. His magnificent return was
ended by his father who shot Marvin in April 1984.
3 Aretha Franklin
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| Aretha, The Queen of Soul |
Aretha Franklin is one true Goliath of the modern music. She ruled the world
in the late 60’s with her greatest hits such as:
“Respect”, “I Say A Little Prayer”,“I Never
Loved a Man”, “Think”, and many others, which placed her on the Soul
Throne and she has been ruling ever since. During the period from 1967 to
1974 this “monster” won ten Grammys. Her first Grammy she won in
1967 for the well-known song “Respect”. Talking about
“Respect” , there are a few interesting facts
about the song. “That girl stole that song from me,” Otis Redding said in a
special clip, presented in 2001. This song was originally
composed by Otis in the distant 1965, but the real hit that earned some
“respect” was the cover version done by Aretha in 1967. Isn’t
it interesting that one song made by different artist have totally different
success and acceptance? What was the difference? Maybe, Aretha had just a
little more soul to give...
With this song our girl declares “I am strong, I am confident and I have everything
a man wants, so you need to show some respect.” Definitely, one of the
landmarks of feminism, a song that creates personalities, builds confidence and
shows women strength. Thanks to the very
talented Aretha Franklin!
4. Nina Simone
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| Nina Simone |
Simone was called the “High Priestess of Soul” because her voice and way of
singing was so seductive and hypnotic that when you listen to her you feel
lost, lost in time, in the universe, in this moment, everything seems unreal.
Born on February 21st, 1933 she was an obvious talent. She started playing
piano at age of 3, can you believe it? This woman had it in her
veins from the moment she was born.
When we talk about soul, we need songs that really show and express
someone’s soul on paper, songs that live in us, songs which will remain
forever… Maybe such a song is “Feeling Good”. Another impressive and soulful
song is “I Put A Spell On You”. This is the kingdom of Simone:
an enthralling voice, a unique timbre, a vivid presence, and living songs. As
if she wants to say to us, “How do you explain what it feels like to get on the
stage and make poetry that you know sinks into the hearts and souls of people
who are unable to express it.” A big soul!
5. James Brown
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| The Godfather, James Brown |
Another of our ten music gurus with an interesting soul story. The
so-called “Godfather of Soul” was born in a very poor family and conditions.
Interesting, he was dismissed from school when he was just 12 for “insufficient
clothing”. He was forced to search different types of jobs
meanwhile he was creating one very important thing for the music- a soul. Soul
of a fighter and strong personality. He started singing in a choir where he developed his strong and emotional voice.
He started his striking career during the mid 50’s as a gospel singer and
he developed a lot during the years with hits such as: “Papa's Got a Brand New
Bag”, “I Got A Feeling”, “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World”, “Please, Please,
Please” and many others. To understand truly his soul this man
said: “As I always said, if people wanted to know who James Brown is, all they
have to do is listen to my music.”
6. Ray Charles
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| Ray Charles |
Ray Charles, one, really special man,
singer, composer, a real Artist. He joins the club “Difficult childhood” - when
he was little he saw his brother drowning which traumatized him.
After this he started losing his sight. Really special - since the age of 7 he
has been blind.
Combining blues and southern soul (he was a Georgia child),
he built a unique singing and composing style, and in 1953 Atlanta offered him
a contract. And the success seemed to find its way to Charles’
life: “I Got A Woman” took second place as R’n’B hit in the distant 1955.
Charles conquered the charts one by one with many hits, combining the soul
within his vocals and the rhythm of R&B. He is the one that formed most of
the great R&B singers after him. Later, he worked with musicians like
Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson. A soul that inspires!
7. Otis Redding
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| Otis Redding |
Simply known as the “The King of Soul”, though his career
as a professional singer lasts only 5 years (1962-1967). So, compared
to all those long and very successful careers, we’ve discussed on this list, we have to overlook Otis Redding. For sure,
we are not going to do it.
Otis had been raised with gospel, and his great talent was stimulated by
the difficulties he met as a child. Always in love with music,
he was singing all the time, everywhere, and he never gave up from dreaming one
day he’d be a famous singer. Could a man leave the impulse of his soul?
Otis didn’t do it. With the single “These Arms of Mine” (1962) he made a
huge breakthrough and got himself on the world stage of soul…
only to take the king’s crown! Magnetic and sincere, Otis conquers people’s
hearts with genuine emotion and power. But what else to expect from a man who
never gave up from his passion: despite all the heavy hits he suffered from
destiny? Which took his life at the age of 26, when he died in a plane accident. He couldn’t even enjoy the triumph of his last hit
"(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay."
8. Stevie Wonder
When he was 8 he has already been a good musician. The President of Motown
Records Berry Gordy, Jr. called him “Little Stevie Wonder”. It
was his unique voice and the beautiful way he played harmonica that were
typical for his first records and performances. But Stevie wasn’t only a good
imitator of Ray Charles: he proved it the way he was playing piano, harmonica,
organ, drums. Since 1964 he hasn’t been called “Little”, and thus, his name
remained only Stevie Wonder.
In the following years the “little” boy became a huge hit-maker with songs
such as: “I Was Made to Love Her,” "My Cherie Amour," "For Once
in My Life," "Where I'm Coming From," "Superstition,"
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life."
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| Stevie Wonder |
Just 20, this man had his own style. His specific way of singing and
introducing the songs reminds of the great jazz singers. The emotion in his
voice distinguishes him from any other musician. This prolific period of his
life ended with the album called “ "Stevie Wonder's Journey Through the
Secret Life of Plants" in 1979. Afterward, he recorded
albums rarely though his concerts were more than successful. And the wonder
really happened in Wonder’s life: one blind child transformed into a “huge” man
with an incredible career and legacy. I think one fact proves that: he is the
person to hold most Grammys - 21!
9. Gladys Knight
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| Gladys Knight |
We had already the Queen, the High Priestess, the Godfather of Soul, but
let me introduce you the “Empress of Soul”. She was born in Georgia on May
28,1944 and began performing at the age of 4. When she was just
7, she won the grand prize on “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour,” and one year later,
she and other kids (her brother, her sister and cousins), formed a group called
“The Pips”. The group had an amazing success and won many
awards. In 1989 Gladys left the band and stormed her way to a solo career
recording the title song for the James Bond film Licence to Kill (1989)
which was part of the album A Good Woman (1990). Through
all these years she has developed a unique style of singing and performing.
Just a little tip how to sing great: "Just sing the song and say the
words,” she said. And if you really have a soul people will
understand. Examples of her pure soul renditions are “Midnight Train To
Georgia” and “Neither One of Us( Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye). This is the lady that inspired one of the heroines of contemporary music -
Mariah Carey.
10. Adele
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| Adele |
She was only 24 when she has already won most of the awards a singer can
dream of. During the Grammys in 2012 Adele took six statuettes,
and in 2013 she crowned her career with the Oscar for the Best Original Song
award with her “Skyfall”. And the list is about to begin…
Adele is considered quite a secretive personality; we don’t know much about
her personal story, except the fact that her career was deeply inspired by the
break with her older boyfriend at the
age of 21. Though all the speculations, we still don’t know
anything about the man who inspired one of the greatest music careers of 21th
century!
Well, Adele is not only a very
successful singer, a product - if you like - of the make-a-star business, she
really has something that makes her different… it’s her big soul. I guess
there’s no one in here who haven’t watched Adele’s performance of
“Someone Like You” at Royal Albert Hall. You are all
goose-flesh, aren’t you? She is not pretending. She is not acting. She is not singing,
either. It’s her soul.
Co-written by Geo Dimitrov (geodimitrov.blogspot.com)
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