Solomon Burke
'King of Rock and Soul' Releases New CD

Listen to Carline Watson's report.

Cover of Solomon Burke's new CD, Don't Give Up on Me Image courtesy Fat Possum Records

Solomon Burke Photo: Piper Ferguson, courtesy Anti/Fat Possum Records

Solomon Burke and Elvis Costello collaborating on "The Judgement" in the recording studio. Photo: Mark Mauer, courtesy Anti/Fat Possum Records

Hear a clip of "Stepchild," on Don't Give up on Me.   Hear a clip of "Fast Train," on Don't Give Up on Me.   Hear a clip of "Everybody needs somebody to love," on Home in Your Heart: The Best of Solomon Burke.

Oct. 22, 2002 -- Solomon Burke was one of the most popular performers in the 1950s and '60s. His velvet voice and live concerts brought women to their knees long before the likes of Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass. His star faded somewhat in the 1970s, but Burke kept making records and touring. Today, as NPR's Carline Watson reports for The Tavis Smiley Show, the "King of Rock and Soul" is having the time of his life.

Solomon Burke recently returned from a European tour promoting his latest CD, Don't Give up on Me, and he's added more dates to his U.S. tour. His new CD is a collection of songs written by musicians such as Tom Waits, Nick Lowe and Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame, among others. Fans of Burke's music will remember the driving Memphis horns that characterized much of his early work, but they won't hear that distinctive sound on this CD. Burke says that although the instrumentation on this CD is different, it's still the same feeling for him.

Today he makes his home in Southern California, where he is bishop of the House of God for All People church in Los Angeles, a nondemoninational church with affiliates throughout the United States and Canada. But he still remembers his early days in a little storefront church in West Philadelphia, where his musical career began.

And from those early days, when he spent some time being a preacher and mortician, among other things, it's not hard to see how Burke became a showman. He is famous for appearing on stage wearing an ermine-lined cape, a crown and carrying a scepter -- trappings which earned him the name "The King of Rock and Soul."

But on Burke's latest CD, record producer Joe Henry says he wanted Burke to try something different.

The song "The Judgement" was written by singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, who has long admired Solomon Burke and his music. "Judgement" is not an easy song to sing, and Joe Henry worried that its structure might cause Burke some problems. Henry's fears were laid to rest when Costello turned up unexpectedly at the recording session.

Music writer Peter Guralnick is the author of Sweet Soul Music a compendium of essays on the connections between R&B music and the burgeoning civil rights movement in the South. He is also a close friend of Burke's and sometimes travels with him when he's on tour. Guralnick says one thing Burke has never shied away from is an opportunity to challenge himself by exploring new music and new songs.

Whether he's broadening his repertoire with new music or singing the old favorites the fans still love, Solomon Burke is busy. In addition to his business interests, his family plays a key role in his life. He has 14 daughters and seven sons, who in turn have given him 64 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. How does one be a father to 21 kids? For Burke the answer is simple.

And some of his children have followed him into the music business.

In 2001, Solomon Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and this past July 19, Philadelphia Mayor John Street declared it Solomon Burke Day. To hear Solomon Burke tell it, he plans to keep doing this for as long as he can.

Next month, the King of Rock and Soul will open for the Rolling Stones in Los Angeles and Las Vegas -- a reunion with the band who had a hit with Burke's song "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" some 37 years ago in 1965.



Other Resources

• The official Solomon Burke Web site.

• Read more about Don't Give Up on Me on the Fat Possum Records Web site.

Previous NPR Coverage

  Hear a July All Things Considered report by Joel Rose of WHYY on Solomon Burke and Don't Give Up on Me.

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