Soul singer Solomon Burke dies at 70

Grammy-winning soul singer Solomon Burke, known for the 1964 hit "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,'' apparently suffered a heart attack and died on a flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam Sunday. He was 70.

The larger than life soul man, known for the 1964 hit "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,'' apparently suffered a heart attack and died on a flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam Sunday, where he was going to play a sold-out concert.

Burke, who grew up in the church and started his adult life as preacher, signed with Atlantic Records in the early 1960s. His first hit, "Just Out of My Reach (Of Own Two Arms), was a cover of country song.

The Rolling Stones covered "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,'' as did Wilson Pickett. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi played it up in the "Blues Brothers" movie. Another Burke song, "Cry to Me," was prominent in the movie "Dirty Dancing."

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

Burke is considered one of the great soul singers of the sixties. And though he didn’t win the popularity of other soul legends like James Brown, he did win renewed success in recent years. He sang at the Vatican ten years ago for Pope John Paul the second. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And he won a Grammy in 2002 for "Don’t Give Up on Me."

Burke called himself the “King of Rock and Soul” and would sit on a throne during his act. The massive man was also a minister and a mortician.

At a recent concert, Burke told his audience, “Loving people is what I do,” and that attitude showed through his music and in his life.

Burke had 21 children, 90 grandchildren, and 19 great grandchildren.