Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been called "a key transitional figure bridging R&B and soul", and was known for his "prodigious output".
real name: James Solomon McDonald
labels: Apollo Records, Bell Records, Atlantic Records, Black Top Records, Chess Records, Dunhill
genres: soul, country music, gospel music
awards: Blues Music Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
plays: guitar, voice
member of: The Soul Clan
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Burke was born James Solomon McDonald on March 21, 1940 (sometimes listed as 1936 or 1939) in the upper floor of his grandmother Eleanor Moore's home, a row house in West Philadelphia. On his headstone, his birth year is 1940.
Burke signed with Apollo Records in late 1955, following the departure of gospel singer and the label's primary star Mahalia Jackson to Columbia. After he signed with Apollo, the label's founder Bess Berman and its handlers were reportedly trying to make Burke "the next Harry Belafonte".
"Cry to Me" is a song written by Bert Berns and first recorded by American soul singer Solomon Burke in 1961. Released in 1962, it was Burke's second single to appear in both Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides and Hot 100 singles charts.
On March 20, 1962, Burke performed "Cry to Me" on American Bandstand.
On December 6, 1961 Burke recorded one of his best known songs, "Cry to Me", "an ode to loneliness and desire" "one of the first songs to unify country, gospel and R&B in one package", that is considered "the paradigm for Southern soul ballads." "Cry to Me" was written by Bert Berns (as Bert Russell), conducted and arranged by Klaus Ogermann, and produced by Bert Berns, "a roly-poly white New Yorker with a deep love and empathy for black music despite a formal music education at the Juilliard School of Music and a music background far removed from the searing soul in which, by 1963, he specialized", with whom Burke had a difficult relationship. Burke "distrusted the young producer", and often spoke of him disparagingly, but later...
Released in 1962, "Cry to Me", backed with "I Almost Lost My Mind" (Atlantic 2131), became Burke's second entry in the US charts, peaking at number five on the R&B charts, and number 44 on the Hot 100.