Soul

'Race Music' was relabelled 'Rhythm & Blues' pulling together the urban blues and Gospel music of the South and migrating into the clubs of Chicago where the audience had gone for jobs. Unifying the spiritually charged music of the church with the sexually charged music of the dance floor.

Forerunners of soul include 1940s artists such as Mahalia Jackson, Louis Jordan, Louis Prima and Big Joe Turner. Some of the earliest soul artists included Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and James Brown, although all were happy to call themselves rock'n'roll performers at the time. During the 1960s Beatles boom, both Charles and Brown claimed that they had always really been R&B singers.

1955 Ray Charles and a breakthrough into popularity as the edges are softened with soul, a marriage of gospel, jazz and blues, (& country?) ... leading directly to Elvis Presley ...

Always very close to the blues ... from Robert Johnson?
'What'd I Say' 'Georgia' 'I got a Woman', ' I'm Movin' On' 'Hit the Road Jack' I can't Stop Loving You' 'This Little Girl of Mine'

1959 the first use of an electric piano, 1963 live at the Apollo. 

1957 James Brown, hot on the heels of Ray Charles, 'crossed over' from the gospel church circuit to pop with 'You Send Me'

Atlantic Records and Jerry Wexler spread R&B to a wider audience as Gospel songs from the church were transformed into soul and 'crossedover' into the blues of Muddy Waters and popular R&B leading to 'white' Rock 'n' Roll and eventually the 'formal white discipline' of Motown in Detroit ...

In Chicago Chess Records 'sweetened' the 'gritty' Detroit formula and embrace the protest movement ...

1967 Otis Redding and Stax.

1960's The Supremes

1970's Marvyn Gaye, Stevie Wonder ...

Inspiration from the South - the blues, the church, Charles and Browne - Professor Longhair - New Orleans street strut and rhumba - Jumpa Blues on the piano.

Sam Cooke - 'The Soulsters'

The Drifters, The Coasters, The Midnighters, The Moonglows ....