Genre: Soul Music

[Lensa]

Soul music is fundamentally rhythm and blues, which grew out of the African-American gospel and blues traditions during the late 1950s and early 1960s in the United States . Over time, much of the broad range of R&B extensions in African-American popular music, generally, also has come to be considered soul music. Traditional soul music usually features individual singers backed by a traditional band consisting of rhythm section and horns.

Music produced by white musicians which is stylistically similar to black soul music sometimes is called blue-eyed soul.

The development of soul music was spurred by two main trends: the urbanization of R&B and the secularization of gospel. Artists like Ben E. King, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and The Staple Singers mixed the passion of gospel vocals with the catchy, rhythmic music of R&B, thus forming soul in the late 1950s.

By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by psychedelic rock and other influences.

Female soul singers like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson gained great popularity; and Tina Turner, then in her 50s, came back with a series of hits with crossover appeal.

Bonnie Raitt is a great soul performer
Bonnie Raitt - I can't make you love me

[englishj]

This is a good summary! I enjoy your posts Lensa. I saw Bonnie Raitt at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 2007. I would recommend the Jazz Fest to anyone who can afford to take a trip there.

[Lensa]

Thank you, Englishj!
Wow! You've seen Bonnie Raitt at the New Orleans Jazz Festival! That is soooo cool! I wish I'd have a chance to see her concert!