Soul/Rhythm and Blues
Rhythm and Blues artist Sam Cooke, was a major figure in the history of popular music. Along with Ray Charles, he is one of the most influential Soul/Rhythm and Blues artist of all-time. If Ray Charles represented raw soul, Sam Cooke symbolized sweet soul. His strength was in his smoothness. He wrote many of his best songs himself, including his first hit, the ethereal “You Send Me,” which shot to number one on all charts in 1957 and established Cooke as a superstar. While other rhythm-and-blues artists stressed visceral sexuality, Cooke was essentially a spiritualist, even in the domain of romantic love. When he did sing dance songs—“Twistin’ the Night Away” (1962), “Shake” (1965)—he did so with a delicacy theretofore unknown in rock music. Cooke also distinguished himself as an independent businessman, heading his own publishing, recording, and management firms. He broke new ground by playing nightclubs, such as the Copacabana in New York City, previously off-limits to soul/rhythm and blues acts.
Ray Charles Robinson was credited with the early development of soul music, a style based on a melding of gospel, soul/rhythm and blues, and jazz music. Drawing from jazz, gospel, blues, and country, he created a river that only he could navigate. After emerging as a blues and jazz pianist indebted to Nat King Cole’s style in the late 1940s, Charles recorded the boogie-woogie classic “Mess Around” and the novelty song “It Should’ve Been Me” in 1952–53. His arrangement for Guitar Slim’s “The Things That I Used to Do” became a blues million-seller in 1953. By 1954 Charles had created a successful combination of blues and gospel influences and signed on with Atlantic Records. Propelled by Charles’s distinctive raspy voice, “I’ve Got a Woman” and “Hallelujah I Love You So” became hit records. Charles became a certified star with the 1959 release of “What’d I Say.” The record broke the usual two and a half-minute mold for a radio song, with its extended “call and response” chorus and improvisational style. It was followed the next year by a version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind,” a sweet ballad with strings and a vocal chorus. His style and success in the genres of rhythm and blues and jazz had an influence on a number of highly successful artists.
Chuck Berry, a singer, songwriter, and guitarist was one of the most popular and influential performers in soul/rhythm and blues, and rock-and-roll music in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Berry is undeniably one of the most influential figures in the history of rock music. In helping to create rock and roll from the crucible of rhythm and blues, he combined clever lyrics, distinctive guitar sounds, boogie-woogie rhythms, precise diction, an astounding stage show, and musical devices characteristic of country-western music and the blues in his many best-selling single records and albums. A distinctive if not technically dazzling guitarist, Berry used electronic effects to replicate the ringing sounds of bottleneck blues guitarists in his recordings. A pioneer of rock and roll, Berry was a significant influence on the development of both the music and the attitude associated with the rock music lifestyle. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics successfully aimed to appeal to the early teenage market by using graphic and humorous descriptions of teen dances, fast cars, high school life, and consumer culture, and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music.
The Ink Spots, were one of the first Black groups, along with the Mills Brothers, to reach both Black and White audiences, the Ink Spots exerted great influence on the development of the doo-wop vocal style. The group’s vocal arrangements and use of guitar riff song introductions would influence future generations of doo-wop, soul/rhythm and blues, and rock and roll musicians, including Elvis Presley and the Beatles. With the release of “If I Didn’t Care” (1939), the Ink Spots became one of the most popular quartets in the United States. In establishing the prominence of the high tenor lead and adding spoken bass choruses to the backing harmonies, the Ink Spots laid the groundwork for countless doo-wop and rhythm-and-blues vocal groups, from the Ravens and the Orioles to Motown’s Temptations. Among their many hits in the 1940s were “Address Unknown,” “My Prayer” (later re-recorded by the Platters), “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall” (a collaboration with Ella Fitzgerald), “We Three,” “To Each His Own,” and “The Gypsy.” In the early 1950s the group split into two, and multiple incarnations of the Ink Spots continued to perform through the 1990s. The Ink Spots have delighted audiences with the wonderful harmonies and arrangements, for more than 60 years and have made the group a musical legend around the world.
The Coasters, a rhythm-and-blues, soul and rock n' roll vocal quartet, was one of the most popular groups of the 1950s. Originally from Los Angeles, the Coasters began as the Robins; instead of singing the usual ballads and rhythm pieces, they sang novelty songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Their tiny label, Spark L.A., which had represented The Robins, produced their biggest hit, “Smokey Joe’s Café” in 1955, which caught the attention of Atlantic Records. In 1956, the group produced their first single as The Coasters, “Down in Mexico.” In 1958, The Coasters crossed over to the pop industry after producing “Searchin’,” a U.S. top-ten hit, which also topped the R&B chart for thirteen weeks and became, arguably, the biggest song of 1957. After that success, they continued to roll hits after hits of soul classics. As tastes in music (along with the group’s lineup) changed, the success they experienced in the 1950s did not continue into the next decade. Their last major hit, however, came in 1961 with “Little Egypt,” a song about falling in love with an exotic dancer.
James Brown was a songwriter, arranger, dancer, and entertainer. His remarkable achievements earned him the sobriquets “the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business,” "Soul Brother Number One,” "Mr. Dynamite," and “the Godfather of Soul.” Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. But moved to Augusta, Georgia, and was raised by his great-aunt. At the age of 15, after breaking into a car, he was sentenced to between eight to 16 years in jail. While incarcerated, he led a gospel choir, demonstrating his organizational prowess at an early age. Upon his release 3 years later, he was aided by his friend, Bobby Byrd and became part of Bobby's vocal group, the Flames. The group, which came to be known as the Famous Flames, performed across Georgia in the mid-’50s. The Flames toured ceaselessly throughout the 1960s, and Brown, who promoted and planned his tours, was a sharp businessman, hitting “money towns” at the weekends. During the 1960s Brown was known as “Soul Brother Number One.” By 1968, James Brown was very much more than an important musician, he was a major Black icon. His hit recordings of that decade have often been associated with the emergence of the Black Arts and Black nationalist movements, especially the songs “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968), and “Don’t Be a Drop-Out” (1966)." Politicians recruited him to help calm cities struck by civil insurrection and avidly courted his endorsement. Brown continued to push musical barriers, and these new directions helped inspire the later sounds of funk, disco, and rap. James Brown is one of the most influential entertainers in the past 50 years.
Louis Jordan, was a saxophonist-singer prominent in the 1940s and ’50s who was a seminal figure in the development soul/rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. The bouncing, rhythmic vitality of his music, enabled Jordan to become one of the few Black artists of the 1940s to enjoy crossover popularity with a White audience. Though Jordan had developed into an accomplished alto saxophonist in the mold of Benny Carter, he did not set out to form a jazz group. His goal, instead, was to create a music that would have a broader appeal. Jordan and his Tympany Five band, became one of the most popular recording acts in the country. They often combined Count Basie-style riffs with a buoyant, boogie-based shuffle, and hits such as “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” and “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” inspired countless “jump blues” combos. He enjoyed celebrity status among both Black and White audiences, starring in numerous Hollywood short films and receiving equal billing on recorded collaborations with Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby. Jordan’s musical style exerted a profound influence on a wide range of performers, most notably Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, and Bill Haley.
Fats Domino was a rhythm-and-blues star who became one of the first rock-and-roll stars and who helped define the New Orleans sound. A pioneering rock 'n' roll artist, his unique musical style has an immense impact on rock 'n' roll music in the 1950s. Domino studied boogie-woogie records and developed a smooth singing style from crooning blues singer-pianists Charles Brown and Little Willie Littlefield. He put a band together and secured an engagement in 1947 at the Hideaway Club while working during the day in a bedsprings factory. He began performing in clubs in his teens and in 1949 was discovered by Dave Bartholomew. Domino’s first recording, “The Fat Man” (1950), became the first of a series of rhythm-and-blues hits that sold 500,000 to 1,000,000 copies. Through the early 1950s Domino’s fame was primarily in the Black music scene. With his recording of “Ain’t That a Shame” in 1955 Domino became a favorite of White audiences as well as Black audiences. He continued to churn out several hits with his distinctive style of piano playing and melodious voice. Despite his popularity, he faced racial discrimination on several occasions. Throughout the next few years Domino released such hits as “I’m in Love Again,” “Blueberry Hill,” and “Blue Monday,” all in 1956. His “I’m Walkin” and “Whole Lotta Loving,” in 1957 and 1958 respectively, also added to his national popularity.
Little Richard, original name Richard Wayne Penniman, was a singer and pianist whose hit songs of the mid-1950s were defining moments in the development of rock and roll. Penniman learned gospel music in Pentecostal churches of the Deep South. As a teenager, he left home to perform rhythm and blues in medicine shows and nightclubs, where he took the name “Little Richard,” achieving notoriety for high-energy onstage antics. To develop his style, Little Richard borrowed a few things from the performers he admired, like gospel singer Marion Williams, from whom Little Richard said he got his trademark whoop. At 18, he won a talent contest in Atlanta, leading to a recording contract with RCA. In 1955, Richard came to J&M Studios in New Orleans for the first time. Penniman went into the studio with the producer Bumps Blackwell, and came out with Tutti Frutti. The single was a hit with Black and White audiences. A cascade of frantic but tight hits followed, establishing Little Richard as a prime force in Rock ’n’ Roll. Long Tall Sally, Slippin’ and Slidin’, Rip It Up, Ready Teddy, She’s Got It and The Girl Can’t Help It were all released in 1956. The following year, Little Richard recorded Lucille, Send Me Some Lovin’, Jenny, Jenny, Miss Ann, and the awesome Keep A-Knockin’. In 1959 Richard suddenly left rock and roll for religion. He entered Oakwood Theological College in Huntsville, Alabama. One year later, he hit #4 on the R&B chart and #10 on the pop chart with the release "Good Golly, Miss Molly." In 1959, the album “Little Richard Sings Gospel" was issued on the 20th Century label. Little Richard received a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 35th annual Grammy Awards in 1993. One year later, Richard received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
Aretha Franklin, defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s and 1970s. As a young teen, she performed with her father on his gospel programs in major cities throughout the country and was recognized as a vocal prodigy. At age 18, with her father’s blessing, Franklin switched from sacred to secular music. She moved to New York City, where Columbia Records executive John Hammond, arranged her recording contract and supervised her sessions. Not having much success at Columbia Records, she switched to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler allowed her to sculpt her own musical identity. Franklin returned to her gospel-blues roots, and the results were sensational. “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)” in 1967, was her first million-seller. She had found her style with a new blend of gospel vocals with inventive piano playing in passionate secular love songs. For Franklin, soul music combined a personal and emotional voice with the drive of the 1960’s Black pride movement. In the late 60s and early 70s, it was the rare Franklin recording that did not become a soul classic. More hits songs came for Aretha after that first million-seller, and soon Franklin was crowned the “Queen of Soul.” For the next dozen years, she became a hit maker of unprecedented proportions. She was “Lady Soul.” By the late 1970s disco cramped Franklin’s style. But in 1985, she was back on top with a new label, Arista, and a new dance hit, “Jump to It,” followed by “Freeway of Love." She has received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1994, a National Medal of Arts in 1999, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
The Platters, were a popular vocal group of their decade, topping both the R&B and pop charts. One of the foremost singing groups of the early days of rock and roll, they were a typical doo-wop group in Los Angeles in the early 1950s. They were the most successful vocal group of the ‘50s, the Platters helped immeasurable in putting Black groups on the pop map. The Platters' debut song "Only You" shot up to number one on the R&B chart (for seven weeks) and crossed over to the pop chart, where it reached number five in November of 1955. Their follow-up, "The Great Pretender” was issued in November 1955" and hit number one on the pop and R&B charts, marking the group's crossover into pop success and securing their star status. Shortly thereafter, they released their million-seller single, "You've Got the Magic Touch," which again supported their status as a crossover group, reaching number four on both the pop and R&B charts. To augment the popularity of their smooth harmonies, they released their first album "The Platters" in July of 1956. The same year the Platters debuted in the United Kingdom, when they released their records "Only You" and "The Great Pretender,." Both debuted at number five on the charts. Ballad hits like “The Magic Touch” (#4 Pop and #1 R&B 1956),and “My Prayer” (#1 Pop and #1 R&B 1956), and others established the Platters in a way few Black groups had ever been perceived by the general public, save for the INK SPOTS and the MILLS BROTHERS.
The Mills Brothers were a vocal quartet that was among the most unique and influential in the history of rhythm and blues, jazz and mainstream popular music. They were not only the first Black vocal group to have wide appeal among Whites, they were the most successful American group of all time spanning four decades. The Mills Brothers began as a barbershop quartet. They gave their first public performances in variety shows on the radio in Cincinnati, Ohio. In about 1930 they moved to New York City, where they became the first Black singers to have their own national radio show. The brothers were highly successful and well liked. They were recognized nationally, then internationally. In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first Black group to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience, King George V, Queen Mary, and the very special woman sitting in a box seat, their mother. Their phenomenal success overseas continued through 1939. Herbert recalls, "We left England for the last time just three days before war was declared on Germany and the only boat we could get was to Australia. We were overseas from then on except for two months in 1940 and then we went back to South America. We didn't get back until 1941. In the meantime the Ink Spots were coming up, and people had sort of forgotten us." After their return to the States, they recorded "I'll be Around" and "Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll," was getting more air time than "I'll Be Around". It sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.
Jackie Wilson was a pioneering exponent of the fusion of 1950s doo-wop, rock, and blues styles into the soul music of the 1960s. Wilson was one of the most distinctively dynamic soul performers of the 1960s. Few singers could match his vocal range or his pure physicality onstage. In 1953 he replaced Clyde McPhatter as the lead singer of the vocal group the Dominoes. Jackie had to deal with the routine forms of racial segregation that made it difficult for Black male artists to secure mainstream success. Wilson had his first big R&B hit in late 1956 with 'Reet Petite', which was co-written by Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy would also help write a few other hits for Wilson in the late '50s. Gordy also wrote Wilson's most successful singles, including “Lonely Teardrops” (1958), “To Be Loved” (1958), and “That’s Why (I Love You So)” (1959), the first of which topped the rhythm-and-blues chart and reached number seven on the pop chart. In the early '60s, Wilson maintained his pop stardom with regular hit singles that often used horn arrangements and female choruses. He released Baby Workout, which was a #5 hit for him in 1963. In 1966, his career moved forward when he teamed up with producer Carl Davis, who successfully updated his sound with horn-heavy arrangements, getting near the Top 10 with "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)". Chicago-based producer Carl Davis hired the Motown rhythm section for “Higher and Higher,” investing the record with a trendy, contemporary beat. Wilson’s soaring rendition of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” reached #6 on the pop chart. Jackie Wilson was one of the most important performers of rhythm & blues/soul.
The Drifters, were a rhythm-and-blues vocal group that produced a series of chart-topping hits from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter. The second group of Drifters formed in 1959 led by Ben E. King were originally an up-and-coming group named The Five Crowns. After 1965 members drifted in and out of both groups and many of these formed other groups of Drifters as well. The three golden eras of the Drifters were the early 1950s, the 1960s, and the early 1970s. From these, the first Drifters, formed by Clyde McPhatter, was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as "The Drifters". The second Drifters, featuring Ben E. King, was separately inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as "Ben E. King and the Drifters". According to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame: "Through turmoil and changes, the (original) Drifters managed to set musical trends and give the public 13 chart hits, most of which are legendary recordings today." Matching that feat, subsequent formations of the Drifters recorded 13 Billboard Hot 100 top 30 chart hits. The 1950s and 60s incarnations of the group were also a force on the US R&B charts, notching six number one R&B hits: "Money Honey" (1953), "Honey Love" (1954), "Adorable" (1955), "There Goes My Baby" (1959), "Save The Last Dance For Me" (1960) and "Under The Boardwalk" (1964).
Smokey Robinson was the lead singer of the vocal group that helped define the Motown sound of the 1960s, the Miracles. Whether writing for fellow artists Mary Wells, the Temptations, or Marvin Gaye or performing with the Miracles, singer-lyricist-arranger-producer Robinson created songs that were supremely balanced between the joy and pain of love. At once playful and passionate, Robinson’s graceful lyrics led Bob Dylan to call him “America’s greatest living poet.” It was Smokey who encouraged Berry Gordy to form Motown Records. The Miracles became one of the first acts signed to the label, although they had actually been with Gordy since before the formation of Motown Records. Smokey was deeply influenced by jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan, and Robinson formed the Five Chimes with school friends in the mid-1950s. His first professional group, the Matadors, changed their name to the Miracles and released “Got a Job” on End Records in 1958. Between 1962 and 1966, Robinson was also one of the major songwriters and producers for Motown, penning many hit singles such as “My Guy” for Mary Wells, “I’ll Be Doggone” for Marvin Gaye, and “My Girl” for the Temptations. He and the Miracles had some stunning compositions of their own. Those included, but not limited to “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” (1962), “I’ll Try Something New” (1962), “Ooo Baby Baby” (1965), “Choosey Beggar” (1965), and “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965). In 1972 Robinson left the Miracles to pursue a solo career. Without him the Miracles enjoyed moderate success in subsequent years. In 1989, he was inducted to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Singer and pianist Dinah Washington, was one of the most popular recording artists of the 1950s and was often called the "Queen of the Blues." Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed in a variety of styles, including pop, rhythm and blues (R&B), and country. In 1942 Lionel Hampton heard her and hired her for to front his band. Hampton claims that it was he who gave her the name Dinah Washington but other sources disagree. Some suggest the talent agent Joe Glaser suggested the new name and others cite the manager of the bar where she was performing at the time. From 1943 to 1946, Washington toured with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and had her first hit, "Evil Gal Blues," for Keynote Records. She left Hampton’s orchestra early 1946 and shortly afterwards recorded blues sides for the small Apollo label. Her big break came very shortly afterwards when she signed with Mercury label on January 14 1946. During her stay with Mercury she recorded a number of top ten hits in a multitude of genres including blues, R&B, pop, standards, novelties, even country. She never was strictly a jazz singer but did record number of jazz sessions with some of the most influential musicians of the day including Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, and Ben Webster. She ascended to pop superstardom in 1959 with her recording of the ballad “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes,” a Dorsey Brothers hit re-arranged by Belford Hendricks. Influenced by Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, she shaped a unique connection between gospel and jazz vocal styles that made her one of the greatest and most influential singers in history. Dinah Washington earned numerous awards and accolades in her lifetime. A few of them include a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance (1959) and 3 Grammy Hall of Fame Awards (1954, 1959 and 1959).
Bo Diddley was born Ellas Bates McDaniel in McComb, Mississippi. He was adopted by his mother’s cousin when the mother’s husband died in the mid 1930s. Known professionally as Bo Diddley, this rhythm & blues and rock & roll singer, guitarist, songwriter and music producer played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. The lyrics to his songs were rife with Black street talk, bluesy imagery, and raunchy humor. In 1951, he landed a regular spot at the 708 Club, on Chicago's South Side, with a repertoire influenced by Louis Jordan, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters. In late 1954, he teamed up with harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold, drummer Clifton James and bass player Roosevelt Jackson and recorded demos of "I'm a Man" and "Bo Diddley". The record was released in March 1955, and the A-side, "Bo Diddley", became a number one R&B hit. It topped the R&B chart for two weeks. Bo Diddley was known for many new musical styles and innovations. He was one of the first musicians of the 1950s to incorporate woman musicians including Lady Bo. He hired her full-time to play all of his stage performances whereupon she became the first female lead guitarist in history to be employed by a major act. In 1996, Diddley received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in Los Angeles. While the following year his 1955 debut recording of is song “Bo Diddley” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as a recording of lasting qualitative or historical significance.
Big Joe Turner is considered a major contributor to the development of the sound of Kansas City Jazz, and the early development of Rock n’ Roll. His vocals barely needed a microphone, and his energetic, passionate, humourous delivery created an excitement in the audience that meant everybody got up to dance. Drawing from Blues music vocal traditions, Turner’s style earned him the nickname of a “Blues Shouter,”. His resonant voice enabled him to cross over into Jazz, Rock n’ Roll and Rhythm & Blues. His greatest fame was due to his rock-and-roll recordings in the 1950s, particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but his career as a performer endured from the 1920s into the 1980s. He teamed up with boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson and soon came to the attention of John Hammond in New York. When Hammond organized the ‘Spirituals to Swing’ concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938, Big Joe and Pete were on the bill, and as a result they recorded a thunderous version of ‘Roll ’em Pete’. He began recording with top jazz musicians and touring the United States and Canada, sometimes with blues players or Count Basie’s orchestra. In 1941 Big Joe moved to the West Coast, touring with Duke Ellington’s ‘Jump for Joy’ revue, and soon Big Joe and Pete opened their Blue Moon Club in LA. Big Joe recorded for many West Coast labels in the 40’s, as jump-blues began to dominate the nation’s dance floors. By 1951 Big Joe had moved to New York when he was approached by Ahmet Ertegun for the Atlantic label. They turned out a string of R&B hits such as ‘Sweet Sixteen’ and ‘Honey Hush’, despite their salacious lyrics limiting their chances of radio airplay.
Otis Ray Redding Jr., born in Dawson, GA. was singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding's style of singing gained inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s. Redding is remebered almost as much for his electrifying style in performance and recording as for his songwriting skills. And yet these too, particularly for a man whose life was extinguished in an airplane crash at age 26, were of exceptional proportions. Strangely enough, the song that was to become perhaps his very best known, "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," was recorded just three weeks before his death in December 1967. In 1958 at the age of 17 Redding started his professional singing career. He briefly toured with the “Pat Tea Cake” band before forming his own band, “The Pinetoppers” in 1959, with well known Macon guitarist Johnny Jenkins. He first recorded one of his own early songs, "Shout Bamalama," at age 19. A couple of years later, Redding did his audition recording with Stax Records, with the song, "These Arms of Mine." The record marked the beginning of what was to become an extended collaboration between Redding and the Stax master studio musicians. Many other songs were yet to come from the increasingly prolific genius of Otis Redding. A mark of Redding's major standing with the world of music and records, was his appearance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Redding gained widespread recognition and it began establishing him with pop audiences.
Marvin Gaye, crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul" was born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. in Washington, D.C. The second of three children born to Marvin Sr., an ordained minister in the House of God. Marvin Gaye added the "e' to the end of his surname as an adult. After graduating high school, Gaye enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, hoping to become an aviator. His dislike for authority, caused him to defy orders and skip practices. His sergeant stated that Gaye refused to follow orders, and Gaye was discharged. After several years in the church, in 1957 Gaye left his father’s church and joined a group known as the Marquees. Gaye moved to Detroit to further pursue his music. In Detroit he was able to join forces with music talent, Berry Gordy, where Gaye became a session drummer and soloist for the Motown Records label. Upon mounting a solo career, Gaye struggled to find his voice, and early singles failed. His first hit single was “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” which became a top 10 selling hit on the R&B charts. By 1965, Gaye became known as Motown’s best selling male vocalist and had added to the charts the famous song “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” followed by two more number one selling R&B hits, “I’ll Be Doggone” and “Ain’t That Peculiar.” A landmark in world pop, "What's Going On", is one of the first concept albums, in which Gaye's views of Vietnam, ecology, racism and religion are fashioned into haunting musical modes.