b. Louis Allen Rawls, 1st December 1933, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
d. 6th January 2006, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Raised in Chicago by his grandmother, Lou Rawls began singing gospel at age 7 in the choir of his Baptist church.
Lou first recorded in June 1950 with The Holy Wonders (imprint: Premium 854 : 'I Won't Be Long' b/w 'Move In The Room With The Lord').
He later recorded in February 1954 withThe Pilgrim Travelers.
As a teenager, he began joining doo-wop groups with his classmate Sam Cooke, whose own singing career in the 1950's and 1960's really took off.
Lou served in the Army in the 1950's, and he began singing at small clubs in Los Angeles.
He was later talent spotted and joined the Capitol Records imprint.
In the '60's he often visited schools, playgrounds, and community centre's and was quite prolific in his musical output.
At Capitol, Lou's jazz album, with pianist Les McCann's trio for Capitol, launched his secular career.
It took Lou a while to establish himself as a soul artist, however, 'Love Is a Hurtin' Thing' topped the R & B charts in 1966, and 'Dead End Street' and 'Your Good Thing (Is About to End)' enhanced his reputation as a singer of all Black genre's.
However, it was in the 1970's, the change of record labels, and joining the Philadelphia International imprint, were where Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff gave him his biggest hit in 1976, namely, 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'.
Several other hit albums followed, including 'Unmistakably Lou' in 1977, 'When You Heard Lou, You Heard It All' (the same year) and 'Sit Down And Talk To Me' in 1979.
A longtime community activist, he played a major role in the United Negro College Fund telethon's in the 1980's, which raised more than $200 million.
In the early Eighties, his Philly album 'Let Me Be Good To You' was warmly received by Soul fans, and featured the Jones Girls.
He recorded more than 75 albums and won three Grammy awards.
Lou went on to record for several other labels, including Blue Note, after previously signing to the Epic label, where he recorded the much sought after 'Stop Me From Starting This Feeling' in 1986.
He was 72 when Lou passed away.
His estranged wife Nina had said the lung cancer was diagnosed two years ago, and that Lou was informed he had brain cancer in 2005.
Lou lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had said, in an interview with the Arizona Republic that he had received alternative and traditional medical treatment.
Apart from his wife, the great man is survived by four children, Louanna Rawls, Lou Rawls Jr., Kendra Smith and Aiden Rawls.
Go check the website www.lourawls.com
Albums:
Stormy Monday (Blue Note 1962)
Black and Blue (Capitol 1962)
Tobacco Road (Capitol 1963)
For You My Love (Capitol 1964)
Lou Rawls and Strings (Capitol 1965)
Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! (Capitol 1965)
Nobody But Lou (Capitol 1965)
Live! (Capitol 1966)
Soul Stirring Gospel Sounds of the Pilgrim... (Capitol 1966)
Carryin' On (Capitol 1966)
Soulin' (Capitol 1966)
Too Much (Capitol 1967)
That's Lou (Capitol 1967)
You're Good for Me (Capitol 1968)
Feelin' Good (Capitol 1968)
The Way It Was: The Way It Is (Capitol 1969)
Your Good Thing (Capitol 1969)
Natural Man (MGM 1971)
Silk & Soul (MGM 1972)
Live at the Century Plaza (Rebound 1973)
All Things in Time (Philadelphia International 1976)
Unmistakably Lou (Philadelphia International 1977)
When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All (Philadelphia International 1977)
Live (Philadelphia International 1978)
Sit Down and Talk to Me (Philadelphia International 1980)
Let Me Be Good To You (Philadelphia International 1980)
Shades of Blue (Philadelphia International 1981)
Now Is The Time (Epic 1982)
When the Night Comes (Epic 1983)
Close Comany (Epic 1984)
Family Reunion (Philadelphia International 1985)
Love All Your Blues Away (Epic 1986)
At Last (Blue Note 1989)
It's Supposed to Be Fun (Blue Note 1990)
Christmas Is the Time (Manhattan 1993)
Merry Little Christmas (Cema Special M 1995)
Holiday Cheer (Cema Special M 1995)
Seasons 4 U (Rawls & Brokaw 1998)
Rawls Sings Sinatra (Savoy Jazz 2003)
