Frank Sinatra once said of Lou Rawls that he had the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game and who are we to argue with Old Blue Eyes
Lou was born in Detroit in 1933 and cut his teeth in local groups where he met and sang with Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke.
He was in the Pilgrim Travelers Gospel Group prior to enlisting in the US paratroopers prior to returning to the band
He was in a serious car crash in 1958 being pronounced dead at the scene.Fortunately this was not in fact the case but he was in a coma for over 5 days and understandably took a number of months to recover.Sam Cooke was also in the car but only sustained minor injuries.
Following the crash he switched from gospel to secular music and had a fairly glittering career. He died in 2006 aged 72.
These tracks are taken from Groovy People - the Best of Lou Rawls which I got in a Blairgowrie Charity Shop last week for a pound.
Silky and mellow - just the thing for some Sunday listening
Lou Rawls - Trade Winds
Lou Rawls - I Wish You Belonged to Me
S-m-o-o-t-h!
ReplyDeleteJo has just said that the 2nd track sounds like something from a porn film. She must have secret stash somewhere........
ReplyDeleteThink Ole Blue Eyes got it right...silky, smooth and sublime.
ReplyDeleteI cannot think of Lou Rawls without thinking of his telethons for the United Negro College Fund. I reckon that's alright...it just there was a time when either his commercials for the telethon or the telethon itself was always on the tv.
ReplyDelete