Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Solomon Burke Detailed Biography
Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a soul and country music pioneer and member of the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He began his adult life as a preacher in Philadelphia, and soon moved on to hosting a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he signed with Atlantic Records and began moving towards more secular music. His first hit was "Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms", a cover of a country song. Though he released a few moderate pop hits and major R&B songs, Burke couldn't quite break into the mainstream. In 1966 He wrote and recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" which was popularized by the 1980 movie Blues Brothers His biggest hit was a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary".
His career was to some degree revived in 2002, with the release of Don't Give Up On Me, where he sang songs written specifically for the album by various famous artists, such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits.
He is featured in the 2004 movie Lightning in a Bottle singing "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Down in the Valley"
In 2005 he appeared as a guest with Jools Holland on his autumn tour of the UK.
