Solomon Burke (born March 21 1940, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a soul and country music pioneer and member of the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a soul music pioneer and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite releasing numerous R&B chart hits in the 1960s, he never had a Top 20 hit on the pop charts. Burke’s influence, however, has outstripped his mainstream commercial success. Today he is considered a legend of American music. He began his adult life as a young preacher in Philadelphia, where he hosted a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he signed with Atla