Al Green

Last updated

Al Green
Al Green in Washington D.C (cropped).jpg
Green in 1996
Background information
Birth nameAlbert Leornes Greene
Also known asThe Reverend Al Green
Born (1946-04-13) April 13, 1946 (age 78)
Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • pastor
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Discography Al Green discography
Years active1966–present
Labels
Website www.al-green.com

Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including "Tired of Being Alone" (1971), "I'm Still in Love with You" (1972), "Love and Happiness" (1973), "Take Me to the River" (1974), and his signature song, "Let's Stay Together" (1972). [3] After his girlfriend died by suicide, Green became an ordained pastor and turned to gospel music. He later returned to secular music. [4] [5]

Contents

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 Rolling Stone 's 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", ranking at No. 65, [7] as well as its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", at No. 10. [8]

Green is a canonical Memphis soul artist. He collaborated closely with many of Memphis's most notable R&B musicians; a long and prolific partnership with producer/arranger Willie Mitchell and the Hi Rhythm Section yielded Green's greatest commercial success.

Early life

Albert Leornes Greene [4] was born on April 13, 1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas, [9] as the sixth of ten children born to Cora Lee and sharecropper Robert G. Greene Jr. At around the age of ten, Al began performing with his sister in a group called the Greene Brothers. During the late 1950s, the Greene family relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan. [10]

While still a teenager, Al was kicked out of the family home after his devoutly religious father caught him listening to Jackie Wilson. [11] He then lived with a prostitute, began hustling,[ clarification needed ] and indulged in recreational drugs. [12]

"[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, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown, Mitchell became his vocal mentor, coaching him into finding his own voice. Before releasing his first album with Hi Records, Green removed the final "e" from his name. Subsequently, he released Green Is Blues (1969), which was a moderate success. His follow-up album, Al Green Gets Next to You (1971), featured the hit R&B cover of the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You", recorded in a slow blues-oriented style. [15] The album also featured his first significant hit, "Tired of Being Alone", [15] which sold a million copies and was certified gold, becoming the first of eight gold singles Green would release between 1971 and 1974. [16]

Al Green in an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show in 1973 Al Green 1973.jpg
Al Green in an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show in 1973

Green's next album, Let's Stay Together (January 1972), solidified his place in soul music. [15] The title track was his biggest hit to date, reaching number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. [17] The album became his first to be certified gold. His follow-up, I'm Still in Love with You (October 1972), went platinum with the help of the singles "Look What You Done for Me" and the title track, both of which went to the top 10 on the Hot 100. His next album, Call Me (April 1973), produced three top-10 singles: "You Ought to Be with Me", "Call Me (Come Back Home)", and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)". [17] In addition to these hit singles, Green also had radio hits with songs such as "Love and Happiness", his cover of the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", "Simply Beautiful", "What a Wonderful Thing Love Is", and "Take Me to the River" (later covered successfully by new wave band Talking Heads and blues artist Syl Johnson).

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 chart top 40.

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. [19] While still under contract with Hi Records, Green released the 1980 album The Lord Will Make a Way , his first of six albums on the Christian label Myrrh Records. [20] The title song from the album would later win Green his first of eight Grammy Awards in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category. [21] In 1982, Green co-starred with Patti LaBelle in the Broadway play "Your Arms Too Short to Box with God". [22] In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, Gospel According to Al Green, including interviews about his life and footage from his church. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell along with Angelo Earl for He Is the Light , his first album for A&M Records. His 1987 follow-up, Soul Survivor , featured the minor hit, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", which reached No. 22 on the Billboard R&B chart, his first top-40 R&B hit since "I Feel Good" in 1978. [17]

Return to secular music

Green returned to secular music in 1988 recording "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" with Annie Lennox. [15] Featured on the soundtrack to the movie Scrooged , the song became Green's first top-10 pop hit since 1974. Green had a hit in 1989 with "The Message is Love" with producer Arthur Baker. Two years later, he recorded the theme song to the short-lived show Good Sports . [23] In 1993, he signed with RCA and with Baker again as producer, released the album, Don't Look Back. Green received his ninth Grammy award for his collaboration with Lyle Lovett for their duet of "Funny How Time Slips Away". Green's 1995 album, Your Heart's In Good Hands , was released around the time that Green was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [24] The one single released from the album, "Keep On Pushing Love", was described as "invoking the original, sparse sound of his [Green's] early classics". [25]

Green performing at the Sonoma Jazz festival, May 23, 2008 Al Green@SonomaJazz2008.jpg
Green performing at the Sonoma Jazz festival, May 23, 2008

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 "People Get Ready" with Heather Headley on the album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration . [29] In 2010, Green performed "Let's Stay Together" on Later... with Jools Holland . On September 13, 2018, Al Green released his first new recording in almost over ten years, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", most famously recorded by Freddy Fender in 1975. It was produced by Matt Ross-Spang and is part of Amazon Music's new "Produced By" series. [30]

Personal life

On October 18, 1974, Green's girlfriend, Mary Woodson, assaulted him and then died by suicide at his Memphis home. [31] [5] Although unbeknownst to Green she was already married with three children, Woodson became upset when Green refused to marry her. [32] She doused him with a pot of boiling grits as he was preparing for bed in the bathroom, causing second-degree burns on his back, stomach, and arms which required skin grafts. [31] [12] Shortly after, Woodson fatally shot herself with his .38 handgun. [33] Police found an apparent suicide note inside Woodson's purse that declared her intentions and her reasons. [34] A few days prior, Green had sent Woodson to convalesce at the home of his friend after she had taken a handful of sleeping pills and slit her wrists. [12] Green cited this incident as a wake-up call to change his life. [5]

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. [12] [37] Green resides in Millington, and preaches near Memphis. [38] He is a member of the Prince Hall Masons, the African-American wing of Freemasonry, at the Thirty-Third Degree. [39]

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 alleged 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

Awards and honors

Green has been nominated for 21 Grammy Awards, winning 11, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. [21] Two of his songs, "Let's Stay Together" and "Take Me To the River" have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [50]

Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2004, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. That same year, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame. [51] Also in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 65 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. [7] He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 BET Awards on June 24, 2009. [52]

On August 26, 2004, Green was honored as a BMI Icon at the annual BMI Urban Awards. He joined a list of previous Icon honorees that included R&B legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley. [53] Green was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2009. [54] He was recognized on December 7, 2014, as a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. [55]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokey Robinson</span> American singer, songwriter and record producer (born 1940)

William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Wilson</span> American singer (1934–1984)

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr., also known as Jackie Wilson, was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of the most dynamic singers and performers in soul, R&B, and rock and roll history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etta James</span> American blues singer (1938–2012)

Jamesetta Hawkins, known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Pickett</span> American singer (1941–2006)

Wilson Pickett was an American singer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Bland</span> American blues and soul singer and musician (1930–2013)

Robert Calvin Bland, known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues and soul music... [who] created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed." The inspiration behind his unique style was a Detroit Preacher, CL Franklin, because Bland studied his sermons. He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues". His music was influenced by Nat King Cole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booker T. & the M.G.'s</span> American R&B/funk band

Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental, R&B, and funk band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The band is considered influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). In the 1960s, as members of the Mar-Keys, the rotating slate of musicians that served as the house band of Stax Records, they played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, and Albert King. They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "Green Onions". As originators of the unique Stax sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike & Tina Turner</span> American musical duo

Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm, and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie Taylor</span> American singer and songwriter (1934–2000)

Johnnie Harrison Taylor was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. He was initially successful at Stax Records with the number-one R&B hits "Who's Making Love" (1968), "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" (1971) and "I Believe in You " (1973), and reached number one on the US pop charts with "Disco Lady" in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Withers</span> American musician (1938–2020)

William Harrison Withers Jr. was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me" (1972), "Lean on Me" (1972), "Lovely Day" (1977) and "Just the Two of Us" (1980). Withers won three Grammy Awards out of nine total nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booker T. Jones</span> American musician

Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.’s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Sledge</span> American singer (1940–2015)

Percy Tyrone Sledge was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, Gold-certified disc from the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cleveland</span> American musician (1931–1991)

James Edward Cleveland was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the "King of Gospel," Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating traditional black gospel, soul, pop, and jazz in arrangements for mass choirs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Bailey</span> American musician (born 1951)

Philip James Bailey is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his four-octave vocal range and distinctive falsetto register, Bailey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire. Bailey was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work with the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candi Staton</span> American singer–songwriter (born 1940)

Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free". In Europe, Staton's biggest selling record is the anthemic "You Got the Love" from 1986, released in collaboration with The Source. Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Bell (singer)</span> American soul singer and songwriter

William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is best known for his debut single, 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bettye LaVette</span> American soul singer (born 1946)

Bettye LaVette is an American soul singer who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, when her album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise was released to widespread critical acclaim, and was named on many critics' "Best of 2005" lists. Her next album, The Scene of the Crime, debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart and was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2008 Grammy Awards. She received the Legacy of Americana Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mavis Staples</span> American singer (born 1939)

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving member. During her time in the group, she recorded the hit singles "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again". In 1969, Staples released her self-titled debut solo album.

"Take Me to the River" is a 1974 song written by singer Al Green and guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges. Hit versions were recorded by Syl Johnson, Talking Heads and Delbert McClinton. In 2004, Green's original version was ranked number 117 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Green's 1974 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Charles Chalmers is an American saxophonist, backup vocalist, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged and performed on many Grammy winning recordings. Seven of those recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame: Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Aretha Franklin's "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "Natural Woman"; Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man"; and Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and "Land of a Thousand Dances." He also holds an Album of the Century award for his work on Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otis Clay</span> American R&B and soul singer (1942–2016)

Otis Lee Clay was an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. In 2013, Clay was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (n.d.). "Al Green". AllMusic . Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (December 23, 1992). "Recordings". The Washington Post . Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Al Green". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fountain, John W. (March 1, 1995). "Silent No Longer". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Brunner, Rob (October 20, 2000). "Al Green's conversion". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 285. ISBN   9780879307448 . Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  7. 1 2 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.
  8. ↑ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hill, Jack W. "Al Green (1946–)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Central Arkansas Library Foundation.
  10. ↑ Darden, Robert (2005). People Get Ready!: A New History of Black Gospel Music. Continuum International Publishing Group. p.  296. ISBN   0-8264-1752-3.
  11. ↑ Booth, Stanley (2000). Rhythm Oil: A Journey Through the Music of the American South. Da Capo Press. p. 150. ISBN   0-306-80979-6.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 King, Aliya S. (December 2004). "Love and Unhappiness". Vibe: 1986–191.
  13. ↑ Brown, Ethan (March 30, 2005). "Q&A with Al Green – Nymag". New York Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kicked Out of House". Biography.com . Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (first ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 105–107. ISBN   0-85112-733-9.
  16. 1 2 "Al Green – Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  17. 1 2 3 "Al Green Chart History". Billboard.
  18. ↑ Strong, Martin C.; Peel, John (2004). The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1,200 Artists. Canongate U.S. p. 628. ISBN   1-84195-615-5.
  19. 1 2 "Al Green (1946–)". encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  20. 1 2 McDonough, Jimmy (2017). Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green. Da Capo Press. ISBN   9780306822674.
  21. 1 2 "Al Green". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Your Arms Too Short to Box With God: A Soaring Celebration in Song and Dance". IBDb.com. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  23. ↑ Tucker, Ken (January 25, 1991). "Good Sports". Entertainment Weekly.
  24. ↑ Van Til, Reinder; Olson, Gordon (2007). Thin Ice: Coming of Age in Grand Rapids. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 225–226. ISBN   978-0-8028-2478-3.
  25. ↑ "Al Green – Your Heart's In Good Hands CD Album". CDuniverse.com. November 7, 1995. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  26. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (December 14, 2006). "The Roots Plot Tour, ?uestlove Reworks Pharrell". Billboard.com .
  27. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Lay It Down: Album Review". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  28. ↑ Scaggs, Austin (June 12, 2008). "Al Green's Soul Revival". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"". Reuters. March 27, 2009.
  30. ↑ Powers, Ann (September 13, 2018). "Hear Al Green's First New Recording In Nearly A Decade". NPR. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  31. 1 2 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.
  32. ↑ 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.
  33. ↑ 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.
  34. ↑ McDonough, Jimmy (2017). Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green. Da Capo Press. pp. 172–189. ISBN   9780306822674.
  35. ↑ "Gun-Wielding Cousin Of Al Green Demands Money". Jet. Vol. 47, no. 11. December 5, 1974. p. 13.
  36. 1 2 "Al Green Sued For $100,000 By His Former Secretary". Jet. December 26, 1974.
  37. ↑ "Full Gospel Tabernacle Church – Memphis, TN". TripAdvisor.com.
  38. ↑ Mastropolo, Frank (October 17, 2014). "Pure Agony: Al Green Scalded by Hot Grits 40 Years Ago" . Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  39. ↑ McDonough, Jimmy (2017). Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green. Da Capo Press. p. 225. ISBN   9780306822674.
  40. ↑ "Soul singer Al Green's sister missing 18 months, family: "Let the public know your sister is missing"". fox17online.com. February 21, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Michigan Family Still Waiting for Answers 6 Years of Disappearance of Al Green's Sister". FOX 17 WXMI. November 27, 2019. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
  42. 1 2 "Al Green Pays Ex-Wife $432,000 In Alimony". Jet. Vol. 64, no. 2. March 28, 1983. p. 15.
  43. 1 2 "Al Green Now The Proud Father Of Three Girls". Jet. Vol. 60, no. 21. August 6, 1981. p. 31.
  44. ↑ "Al Green's Wife Seeks Divorce, Charging Cruelty". Jet. Vol. 54, no. 10. May 25, 1978. p. 61.
  45. ↑ "Al Green, Wife Together Again After Splitting Over 'Misunderstanding'". Jet. Vol. 56, no. 8. May 10, 1979. p. 16.
  46. ↑ "Singer Al Green Charged In $25,000 Civil Suit". Jet. August 15, 1974. p. 54.
  47. ↑ "Al Green, Ex-Secretary Settle $100,00 Suit". Jet. Vol. 48, no. 20. August 7, 1975. p. 44.
  48. ↑ "Al Green Arrested For Assault In Irving, Tex". Jet. Vol. 57, no. 14. June 23, 1977. p. 61.
  49. ↑ "Al Green Cleared of Memphis Battery Charges". Jet. Vol. 56, no. 25. September 6, 1979. p. 64.
  50. ↑ "Grammy Hall of Fame". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. October 18, 2010.
  51. ↑ "Al Green Exhibit Home". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Al Green to scoop lifetime gong". BBC News. BBC. May 16, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  53. ↑ "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.
  54. ↑ "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends – Al Green". Michiganrockandrolllegends.com.
  55. ↑ Harris, Paul (September 4, 2014). "Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Sting to Receive Kennedy Center Honors". Variety.com. Retrieved October 10, 2015.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.