It was his first hit, selling over a million copies and charting on both the R&B and pop charts. 'Just Out of Reach' is the short form of its title, the full title being variously given as 'Just Out of Reach (of My Two Open Arms)' or 'Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms)'. Following the end of his performance career, he returned to his work as a preacher until his death in 2010.īurke's second single for Atlantic, recorded in 1961, was a cover of a country song written by Virgil "Pappy" Stewart, and originally released by his band in 1951. He then became known for wearing full regalia: a replica of the United Kingdom Crown Jewels, and a fifteen-foot long cape (which at times was used to conceal a small person as Burke came onto the stage, who would then leave the stage after the cape had been dramatically thrown off - making it seem to depart of its own accord). In 1963 he was decreed the King of Rock 'n' Soul, in a ceremony dreamed up by a Baltimore radio personality. His career had a shaky start, but after he signed with Atlantic in 1960 and (having refused to be marketed as a rhythm and blues singer due to the profane nature of that genre) coined the term soul singer to describe his musical style, things really looked up. As a teenager, he discovered a passion for music, and became a gospel performer. As a child, he was deemed the spiritual head of the church his grandmother had established following a dream about ten years before his birth, and he became a preacher of some renown in the Philadelphia area. James Solomon MacDonald was born in either 1936 or 1940, and had his name changed to Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke when his mother married Vincent Burke. The Beatles featured 'Long Tall Sally', with Paul McCartney on vocals, starting from their Quarrymen years, and including it in their last concert in 1966. Many people will have first heard the song via one of the (literally hundreds of) cover versions, such as those from Elvis Presley and the Beatles, both big fans of Little Richard. It also made the top ten on the pop chart. The 1956 single 'Long Tall Sally', written by Little Richard with Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and Enotris Johnson, was the first of fifteen Little Richard songs to hit the top of the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers in the space of three years. (The original lyrics are not suitable for this site - it was cleaned up significantly for commercial recording by turning most of the lyrics into nonsense syllables!) The 1955 single 'Tutti Frutti' became one of his signature pieces, with its frenetic piano playing and nearly-shouted vocal performance. Richard Wayne Penniman (1932-2020) was a force in American music for over half a century, with a dynamic style that appealed to a wide range of audiences - rock and roll, soul, rhythm & blues and funk all claim him as a major contributor. And hey presto, you've got soul! 'I've Got a Woman' was recorded in November of 1954, and hit the top of the R&B chart in January of 1955. The bridge was adapted from a blues piece, 'Living on Easy Street' by Big Bill Broonzy. Ray Charles and Renald Richard are credited as co-authors of the much-covered song 'I've Got a Woman' (later retitled 'I Got a Woman'), but the inspiration came from a song called 'It Must Be Jesus' by the Southern Tones, a gospel song that inspired Charles to use the energy of gospel music combined with secular lyrics to produce a fusion song. Later in his career that broadened to include popular and country music: in 1960 'Georgia on My Mind' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the 1962 album 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music' topped the Billboard 200. He is credited with being one of the first to develop the genre that was to become known as soul, a fusion of blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004), whose trademark dark glasses were worn because he was blinded by glaucoma during his childhood, was one of the most innovative musicians of his time.
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