March 21: Solomon Burke was born on this date in 1940...

Initial reports are that Solomon died at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam from a heart attack. He was scheduled to perform with De Dijk in Holland on October 12.

During his half-century musical career, the American Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter mixed gospel, soul, and blues, as well as his own style in a time when R&B, and rock were fresh and new.

... he died on Oct 10, 2010 in the Netherlands at the age of 70.

 Solomon Burke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Once a preacher, he hosted a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he started singing. At age 14 his first song, “Christmas Presents From Heaven,” was a million selling gospel hit.

Burke had difficulty breaking through into the mainstream at first. In 1964 he wrote and recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," which soon after was covered by The Rolling Stones the same year, and later by Wilson Pickett.  

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-- "Cry to Me" (From Dirty Dancing)

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Between 1961 and 1968, Burke released 32 singles on Atlantic, many of which made both the R&B and pop charts, including six Top Ten R&B hits, four of which crossed over to the Top 40 - “Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms),” “Cry To Me,” “Got To Get You Off Of My Mind,” “You’re Good For Me,” “Tonight’s The Night” and “If You Need Me” (written by Wilson Pickett).

He continued recording  throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, producing  22 soul and gospel albums. His recordings during this period include Electrophonic Magnetism, King Heavy, I Have a Dream, Back to My Roots, Music To Make Love By, Lord We Need A Miracle, Take Me, Shake Me, Soul Alive!, Soul Of The Blues, Live At The House of Blues and Definition Of Soul.

In 2002 he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album Don’t Give Up On Me.  One of his best known hits “Cry To Me” was performed in the dance and seduction scene in the popular film Dirty Dancing starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Burke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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