Died On This Date (October 10, 2010) Solomon Burke / Pioneering Soul, Blues & Gospel Singer
themusicsover Solomon Burke
March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010
Solomon Burke was a beloved and influential singer-songwriter who built a sizable following due to his powerful gospel, soul, and blues voice. Burke ‘s first adult profession was a preacher, and went on to become a popular gospel radio host and then a singer. Signed to the prestigious Atlantic Records in 1960, went on to release several critically acclaimed secular records, his most famous perhaps was “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” which was covered by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia, Wilson Pickett, and the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd). During the 2000s, Burke made a comeback of sorts. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and won a Grammy in 2003 for his Fat Possum release, Don’t Give Up On Me Baby album. He was also playing in front of his biggest crowds at concerts and festivals around the world, as well as worldwide audiences on television. Between 2005 and 2008, Burke released a trilogy of albums for Shout! Factory, Make Due With What You Got, Nashville, and Like A Fire – all are essential listening. On October 10, 2010, Solomon Burke died unexpectedly at an Amsterdam airport where he had just landed en route to a performance. Cause of death was not immediately released, but it is believed to have been of natural causes. He was 70.
What You Should Own
Albertina Walker was a beloved Gospel singer who has been rightfully called the “Queen of Gospel.” Walker began singing while still a child in Chicago, Illinois, driven by the influence of future friend and mentor, the great 
Marie Knight was a respected gospel singer who is best remembered for her work with Sister Rosetta Tharpe during the ’40s. Touring and recording with Tharpe throughout the ’40s and ’50s, Knight scored gospel hits with “Up Above My Head” and “Didn’t It Rain.” In 2002, Knight released Let Us Get Together, her first album in over 25 years. Marie Knight died of pneumonia in a Harlem nursing home at the age of 84.
