Al Green
Al Green | |
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Occupation(s) |
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Discography | Al Green discography |
Years active | 1966–present |
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Website | www |
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of
Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. He was referred to on the museum's site as being "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music".[3] He has also been referred to as "The Last of the Great Soul Singers".[6] Green is the winner of 11 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also received the BMI Icon award and is a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. He was included in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, ranking at No. 65,[7] as well as its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, at No. 10.[8]
Early life
Albert Leornes Greene
While still a teenager, Al was kicked out of the family home after his devoutly religious father caught him listening to
"[I listened to] Mahalia Jackson, all the great gospel singers. But the most important music to me was those hip-shakin' boys: Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley. When I was 13, I just loved Elvis Presley. Whatever he got, I went out and bought."[13]
In high school, Al formed a vocal group called Al Greene & the Creations.[14] Two of the group's members, Curtis Rodgers and Palmer James, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. In 1966, having changed their name to Al Greene & the Soul Mates, they recorded the song "Back Up Train", releasing it on Hot Line Music.[15] The song was a hit on the R&B charts and peaked at No. 46 in the Cashbox Top 100. However, the group's subsequent follow-ups failed to chart, as did their debut album Back Up Train. While performing with the Soul Mates, Green came into contact with Memphis record producer Willie Mitchell, who hired him in 1969 to be a vocalist for a Texas show with Mitchell's band. Following the performance, Mitchell asked Green to sign with his Hi Records label.[15]
Career
Early success
Having noted that Green had been trying to sing like Jackie Wilson,
Green's next album,
Green's album Livin' for You (December 1973) was certified gold.[16] He continued to record successful R&B hits in the next several years including "Livin' for You", "Sha-La-La (Makes Me Happy)" from his album Al Green Explores Your Mind, "Let's Get Married", "L-O-V-E (Love)" and "Full of Fire".
By the time Green released The Belle Album in 1977, however, his record sales had plummeted, partially due to Green's own personal issues during this time and his desire to become a minister.[18] His last Hi Records album, Truth n' Time, was released in 1978 and failed to become a success.
Gospel recordings
Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics. In 1979, he injured himself falling off the stage while performing in Cincinnati and took this as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel music.[19]
From 1981 to 1989, Green recorded a series of gospel albums.
Return to secular music
Green returned to secular music in 1988 recording "
In 2000, Green released his autobiography, Take Me to the River. Two years later, he earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and recorded a hit R&B duet with Ann Nesby on the song, "Put It On Paper". Green again reunited with Willie Mitchell in 2003 for the album, I Can't Stop.[12] A year later, Green re-recorded his previous song, "Simply Beautiful", with Queen Latifah on the latter's album, The Dana Owens Album. In 2005, Green and Mitchell collaborated on Everything's OK.
Green's 2008 album, Lay It Down, was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and James Poyser.[26] It became Green's first album to reach the top 10 since the early 1970s. The album features a minor R&B hit with the ballad, "Stay with Me (By the Sea)", featuring John Legend, and also includes duets with Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae.[27] During an interview for promotion of the album, Green admitted that he would have liked to duet with Marvin Gaye: "In those days, people didn't sing together like they do now."[28]
In 2009, Green recorded "
Personal life
On October 18, 1974, Green's girlfriend, Mary Woodson, assaulted him and then died by suicide at his Memphis home.
Days after Green was released from Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis, where he was treated for his burns, he was reportedly held hostage at gunpoint by his cousin, who claimed he owed her money.[35] Green refused to press charges.[36]
In 1976, Green established the Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Memphis.
In September 2013, Green's sister Maxine Green was reported missing from her assisted living home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. According to her daughter Lasha, Green has not reached out to the family about his sister.[40] As of March 2023, she is still missing.[41]
Marriages and children
On June 15, 1977, Green married his first wife Shirley Green (née Kyles) in Memphis. Originally from Chicago, she was one of his backing vocalists and an employee at his church.[42] Together they have three daughters.[43] Shirley first filed for divorce in 1978 on the ground of cruelty and irreconcilable differences.[44] She filed again in 1981, charging that Green had subjected her to domestic violence throughout their marriage.[4] Green accused her of cruel and inhuman treatment in a countercomplaint. In a sworn deposition in 1982 as part of her divorce filing, Shirley testified that in 1978 while she was five months pregnant, Green beat her with a boot for refusing to have sex.[4] She claimed that the assault resulted in head wounds, one of which required stitches. After the incident she filed for divorce, but they reconciled.[45] According to Shirley, they separated several times when the beatings became "too frequent and too severe".[4] Initially, Green denied beating his wife, but under oath in 1982 he admitted to striking her. Their divorce was finalized in February 1983.[4] Green agreed to pay her $432,800 in alimony and child support.[42] In 1995, the story of Nicole Brown Simpson inspired Shirley to go public with the abuse she endured in order to help other victims.[4]
Green has seven children: three sons, Chris Burse Sr., Al Green Jr., and Trevor, plus four daughters, Alva Lei, Rubi Renee, Kora Kishe (with Shirley Green), and Kala.[43][20]
Green was reportedly remarried by the 1990s.[12]
Assault charges
Green's former secretary, Linda Wills, filed a $25,000 civil suit against him in 1974. Wills charged that Green beat her and shoved her through a glass door in his Memphis office after a dispute about how much back pay she was entitled to for her duties.[46] The civil suit was dropped because of "conflicting testimony", but in 1975, they settled a $100,000 lawsuit for assault and battery charges.[36][47]
In 1977, Green and his former organ player Larry Robinson were arrested for assault on Memorial Day in Irving, Texas. According to Robinson, Green and his bodyguards jumped him when he confronted Green about owed money from previous gigs. They both posted bond on a misdemeanor charge.[48]
In 1978, Green was charged with assault and battery for allegedly beating Lovie Smith unconscious with a tree limb. The charges were dismissed after Smith, who had moved, did not receive a subpoena and therefore missed the court date.[49]
Discography
- Studio albums
- Back Up Train (1967)
- Green Is Blues (1969)
- Al Green Gets Next to You (1971)
- Let's Stay Together (1972)
- I'm Still in Love with You (1972)
- Call Me (1973)
- Livin' for You (1973)
- Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974)
- Al Green Is Love (1975)
- Full of Fire (1976)
- Have a Good Time (1976)
- The Belle Album (1977)
- Truth n' Time (1978)
- The Lord Will Make a Way (1980)
- Higher Plane (1981)
- Precious Lord (1982)
- I'll Rise Again (1983)
- White Christmas (1983)
- Trust in God (1984)
- He Is the Light (1985)
- Soul Survivor (1987)
- I Get Joy (1989)
- Love Is Reality (1992)
- Don't Look Back(1993)
- Your Heart's in Good Hands (1995)
- Feels Like Christmas (2001)
- I Can't Stop (2003)
- Everything's OK (2005)
- Lay It Down (2008)
Awards and honors
Green has been nominated for 21
Green was inducted into the
On August 26, 2004, Green was honored as a
See also
References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (n.d.). "Al Green". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (December 23, 1992). "Recordings". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Al Green". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fountain, John W. (March 1, 1995). "Silent No Longer". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ a b c Brunner, Rob (October 20, 2000). "Al Green's conversion". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ISBN 9780879307448. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Justin Timberlake. "The Immortals – The Greatest Artists of All Time: 65) Al Green". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Hill, Jack W. "Al Green (1946–)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Central Arkansas Library Foundation.
- ISBN 0-8264-1752-3.
- ISBN 0-306-80979-6.
- ^ a b c d e f King, Aliya S. (December 2004). "Love and Unhappiness". Vibe: 1986–191.
- ^ Brown, Ethan (March 30, 2005). "Q&A with Al Green – Nymag". New York Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- Biography.com. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ^ a b "Al Green – Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
- ^ a b c "Al Green Chart History". Billboard.
- ISBN 1-84195-615-5.
- ^ a b "Al Green (1946–)". encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ ISBN 9780306822674.
- ^ a b "Al Green". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020.
- ^ "Your Arms Too Short to Box With God: A Soaring Celebration in Song and Dance". IBDb.com. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (January 25, 1991). "Good Sports". Entertainment Weekly.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-2478-3.
- ^ "Al Green – Your Heart's In Good Hands CD Album". CDuniverse.com. November 7, 1995. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (December 14, 2006). "The Roots Plot Tour, ?uestlove Reworks Pharrell". Billboard.com.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Lay It Down: Album Review". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ Scaggs, Austin (June 12, 2008). "Al Green's Soul Revival". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ^ "Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"". Reuters. March 27, 2009.
- ^ Powers, Ann (September 13, 2018). "Hear Al Green's First New Recording In Nearly A Decade". NPR. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Brown, George F. (November 7, 1974). "The Inside Story Of Fatal Shooting In Al Green's Home". Jet. Vol. 47, no. 7. pp. 12–16.
- ^ Kim, Alice (May 17, 2002). "Al Green loves and cherishes the booty". The Stanford Daily. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ Sullivan, James (February 22, 2008). "Twisted Tales: Al Green Finds Salvation, Served Scalding Hot". Spinner.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ISBN 9780306822674.
- ^ "Gun-Wielding Cousin Of Al Green Demands Money". Jet. Vol. 47, no. 11. December 5, 1974. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Al Green Sued For $100,000 By His Former Secretary". Jet. December 26, 1974.
- ^ "Full Gospel Tabernacle Church – Memphis, TN". TripAdvisor.com.
- ^ Mastropolo, Frank (October 17, 2014). "Pure Agony: Al Green Scalded by Hot Grits 40 Years Ago". Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ISBN 9780306822674.
- ^ "Soul singer Al Green's sister missing 18 months, family: "Let the public know your sister is missing"". fox17online.com. February 21, 2015.
- ^ "Michigan Family Still Waiting for Answers 6 Years of Disappearance of Al Green's Sister". FOX 17 WXMI. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Al Green Pays Ex-Wife $432,000 In Alimony". Jet. Vol. 64, no. 2. March 28, 1983. p. 15.
- ^ a b "Al Green Now The Proud Father Of Three Girls". Jet. Vol. 60, no. 21. August 6, 1981. p. 31.
- ^ "Al Green's Wife Seeks Divorce, Charging Cruelty". Jet. Vol. 54, no. 10. May 25, 1978. p. 61.
- ^ "Al Green, Wife Together Again After Splitting Over 'Misunderstanding'". Jet. Vol. 56, no. 8. May 10, 1979. p. 16.
- ^ "Singer Al Green Charged In $25,000 Civil Suit". Jet. August 15, 1974. p. 54.
- ^ "Al Green, Ex-Secretary Settle $100,00 Suit". Jet. Vol. 48, no. 20. August 7, 1975. p. 44.
- ^ "Al Green Arrested For Assault In Irving, Tex". Jet. Vol. 57, no. 14. June 23, 1977. p. 61.
- ^ "Al Green Cleared of Memphis Battery Charges". Jet. Vol. 56, no. 25. September 6, 1979. p. 64.
- ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Al Green Exhibit Home". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ "Al Green to scoop lifetime gong". BBC News. BBC. May 16, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
- ^ "BMI Celebrates Urban Music at 2004 Awards with Top Writers, Producers, Publishers". Bmi.com. August 26, 2004. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – Al Green". Michiganrockandrolllegends.com.
- ^ Harris, Paul (September 4, 2014). "Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Sting to Receive Kennedy Center Honors". Variety.com. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
Further reading
- Christgau, Robert; et al. (1976). "Al Green". The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll.
- Green, Al; Seay, Davin (2009). Take Me to the River: An Autobiography. ISBN 978-1556528101.
- ISBN 978-0306822674.
External links
- Official website
- Al Green at AllMusic
- Al Green at IMDb
- Al Green at the Internet Broadway Database
- "Al Green". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.