Being blessed with a cutting, rich voice is one thing. Having the commitment to belt it out the way Solomon Burke did for more than a half-century comes down to devotion to the craft that figures into practice, preparation, and a love of the material. The "King of Rock and Soul" died Sunday at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at age 70.
In addition to Ben Sisario's career-spanning obit for the New York Times and Rolling Stone's highlights of his life in music, be sure to read Tom Bowker's piece for the Miami Herald. An excerpt of the heartfelt, humorous, and personal recollections of Burke follows below:
Much more at the source -- and important to note that one of Burke's more recent successes, Don't Give Up On Me, played at Bowker's wedding reception.