Solomon Burke American singer and composer, Grammy Award winner. Date of Birth: 21.03.1940 Country: USA

Biography of Solomon Burke

Solomon Burke was an American singer and composer, and a Grammy Award winner. He was born on March 21, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Initially, Burke began his adult life as a preacher in Philadelphia before becoming a host of a gospel show on the radio.

In the late 1960s, Solomon signed a contract with Atlantic Records and began his career in secular music. His first hit, "Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms," was a cover of a country song. Despite receiving positive reviews from contemporaries and critics, as well as achieving moderate success with his R&B hits, Burke struggled to break into the mainstream music scene, much like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding.

His most famous song, "Cry to Me," gained popularity when it was featured in the dance and seduction scene of the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing." In 1964, Burke wrote and recorded the song "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," which became a soul standard. The Rolling Stones covered the song that same year, and it was also used in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."

Throughout his life, Burke maintained a special relationship with the Catholic Church, and in 2000, he and his family were invited to perform at the Vatican's jubilee celebration. He visited the Vatican again at the invitation of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate Christmas.

In 2002, Burke experienced a career resurgence with the release of his album "Don't Give Up On Me" on the Possum Records label, produced by Joe Henry. The album featured songs written by acclaimed artists such as Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits. "Don't Give Up On Me" won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Burke also had appearances in films, including "The Big Easy" in 1987 and the documentary "Lightning in a Bottle" in 2004, where he performed the songs "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Down in the Valley." In the same year, he collaborated with electronic music producer Junkie XL for the song "Catch Up To My Step" and appeared on the album "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by gospel trio Blind Boys Of Alabama, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album.

In 2004, Burke recorded a duet with Italian soul singer Zucchero for his album "Zu & Co." They performed Zucchero's hit "Diavolo in me" together and appeared on the live DVD "Zu & Co.- Live at the Royal Albert Hall." In 2005, Burke joined Jools Holland as a special guest on his UK tour, including two sold-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

In September 2006, Burke returned to his country roots with the release of the country album "Nashville," featuring collaborations with Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch, and Patty Loveless. He headlined a concert in support of the album on September 25, 2006, in Nashville, with Buddy Miller and his band. The concert was filmed by HDNet and released on DVD on September 17, 2007, in Europe.

On September 28, 2006, Burke performed alongside Jerry Lee Lewis and several other rock, soul, and country legends at the "Last Man Standing" live concert at Sony Music Studios in New York. Burke and Lewis recorded duets of the songs "Who Will the Next Fool Be" and "Today I Started Lovin' You Again."

In January 2008, Solomon recorded his new album, "Like A Fire," with producer/drummer Steve Jordan. The songs were written by renowned names such as Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Joss Stone, Keb' Mo', and more. The album was released on June 10, 2008.

Throughout his career, Burke performed in his beloved genres of gospel, soul, and blues, while also developing his unique style during a time when R&B and rock were still in their early stages. He was a highly respected figure in the industry, considered a pioneer, and was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.