Solomon Burke, the larger-than-life "King of Rock and Soul,' whose songs blended soul, gospel, country and R&B, died early Sunday at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at age 70.
Born to the sound of music in an upstairs room of a Philadelphia church, Burke was acknowledged as one of the greatest soul singers of the 1960s, but his popularity never matched that of contemporaries like James Brown or Marvin Gaye.
Even so, legendary Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler once called Burke, "the best soul singer of all time." Burke, a giant man with a powerful soulful voice to match, joined Atlantic in 1960 and went on to record a string of hits in a decade with the label. Burke's family said on his website the singer died of natural causes, but did not elaborate.
"This is a time of great sorrow for our entire family. We truly appreciate all of the support and well wishes from his friends and fans," the statement said.
"Although our hearts and lives will never be the same, his love, life and music will continue to live within us forever," it added. Two of Burke's best-known songs were boosted by featuring on the soundtracks of popular movies.
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