Lou Rawls

Rawls was born in Chicago on December 1, 1933, and raised by his grandmother in the Ida B. Wells projects on the city's South Side. He began singing in the Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church choir at the age of seven and later sang with local groups through which he met Sam Cooke, who was nearly three years older, and Curtis Mayfield.[3][4]

After graduating from Dunbar Vocational High School, he sang briefly with Cooke in the Teenage Kings of Harmony, a gospel group, and then with the Holy Wonders. In 1951, he replaced Cooke in the Highway QC's after Cooke departed to join The Soul Stirrers in Los Angeles. Rawls was hired by the Chosen Gospel Singers and moved to Los Angeles, where he joined the Pilgrim Travelers.

In 1955, Rawls enlisted in the United States Army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He served in B Co 2/505th Parachute Infantry and made 26 jumps. He left the Army three years later as a Sergeant and rejoined the Pilgrim Travelers (then known as the Travelers). In 1958, while touring the South with the Travelers and Sam Cooke, Rawls was in a car crash. He was pronounced dead before arriving at the hospital, where he stayed in a coma for five and a half days. He spent a year recuperating and it was several months before his memory returned. He considered the crash a life-changing event.

With Dick Clark as master of ceremonies, Rawls was able to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in 1959. His first two singles were "Love, Love, Love" and "Walkin' (For Miles)" for Shar-Dee Records, a label owned by Herb Alpert. "In My Little Black Book" and "80 Ways" were released a year later by Candix Records. In 1962 he signed a contract with Capitol Records and sang backing vocals on "Bring It On Home to Me" and "That's Where It's At", both written by Cooke. [5] Rawls charted with a cover of "Bring It On Home to Me" in 1970 (with the title shortened to "Bring It On Home").

Stormy Monday, a jazz album with Les McCann, was released in 1962. The next two Capitol albums (Black and Blue, Tobacco Road) sold well and employed Onzy Matthews as musical director and a 17-piece big band. Both albums reached the Billboard magazine charts and propelled his career.

Although his 1966 album Live! was certified gold, Rawls would not have a star-making hit until he made a soul album, named Soulin' , later that year. The album contained "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing", his first R&B No.1 single. In 1967, he won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance for the single "Dead End Street". In 1967, he performed at the first evening of the Monterey International Pop Music Festival.[7]

Rawls performing with Frank Gorshin in 1977

In 1969, Rawls was co-host of NBC's summer replacement series for the Dean Martin Show with Martin's daughter, singer Gail Martin. After leaving Capitol in 1971, he signed with MGM and released the single "Natural Man" written for him by comedian Sandy Baron and singer Bobby Hebb. For Bell Records in 1974 he recorded a cover version of "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates. Two years later with his new manager Martin Pichinson, he signed with Philadelphia International and recorded All Things in Time, which sold a million copies. "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" became his biggest selling single, selling a million copies, topping the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, and reaching No. 2 on the pop chart. The hit single "Lady Love" followed, from the 1977 album When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All.

Charity

Lou Rawls (right) at Baltimore's Inner Harbor (1980) being interviewed by local news anchor Curt Anderson, promoting the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon

In 1980, Rawls began the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon which benefits the United Negro College Fund. The annual event, known since 1998 as "An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence", consists of stories of successful black students who have benefited from and/or graduated from one of the many historically black colleges and universities who receive support from the UNCF, along with musical performances from various recording artists in support of the UNCF's and Rawls' efforts.[8] The event raised over US$250 million for the fund at the time of Rawls' death in 2006.[9]

Rawls was married three times. His third wife, Nina, a former flight attendant, managed his career during his last two years. They had one son, Aiden Rawls. Rawls was also survived by another son, Lou Rawls Jr., two daughters, Louanna Rawls and Kendra Smith (both of Los Angeles), and four grandchildren.[9]

Lou Rawls's tomb at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)

In December 2005, it was announced that Rawls was being treated for lung cancer that metastasized to his brain. He died from this illness on January 6, 2006, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).[9]

Lou Rawls's final television performance occurred during the 2005–2006 edition of his telethon, honoring Stevie Wonder in September 2005, months before entering the hospital and after having been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year. He performed "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" and "It Was A Very Good Year" as a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

On the night of September 29, 1977, Rawls performed the national anthem of the United States before the Earnie Shavers-Muhammad Ali title fight at Madison Square Garden. He was invited to sing the anthem many times over the next 28 years. His final performance was in his hometown of Chicago when he was asked to sing the national anthem before the second game of the 2005 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros at U.S. Cellular Field.

Rawls won the AMA for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist in 1979, tied with singer Teddy Pendergrass.

In 1982, Rawls received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On January 19, 1985, he sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" at the nationally televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

In 2021, Rawls was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut,[14] brought the Lou Rawls album When the Night Comes (Epic, 1983) into space with him. It contained the song "Wind Beneath My Wings".[15] In 1989, he performed vocals for "The Music and Heroes of America" segment in the animated television miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown.

In January 2004, Rawls was honored by the United Negro College Fund for his more than 25 years of charity work with the organization. Instead of hosting and performing as he usually did, Rawls was given the seat of honor and celebrated by his performing colleagues, including Stevie Wonder, The O'Jays, Gerald Levert, and Ashanti.

In 2009, Pathway Entertainment announced its intention to produce a biopic about Rawls's life, tentatively titled Love Is a Hurtin' Thing: The Lou Rawls Story,[16] with Rawls' son, Lou Rawls Jr., writing the screenplay[16] and Isaiah Washington reportedly playing Rawls.[16]

• 1969: Angel, Angel, Down We Go as Joe
• 1969: "Joshua Watson" The Big Valley
• 1972: "Mannix" Lifeline Episode as Vance Logan
• 1995: Leaving Las Vegas as Concerned Cab Driver
• 1996-2004: Hey Arnold as Harvey the Mailman (18 episodes) Only in America (Don King HBO Movie)
• 1997: “Still Breathing” as The Tree Man
• 1997: "The Wall: Part 2" (1 episode) Early Edition
• 1998: The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs (voice of Anubis)
• 1998: The Rugrats Movie as a newborn baby singer
• 1999: Kablam as himself
• 2000: Jazz Channel Presents Lou Rawls (Image)
• 2001: My Wife and Kids Episode: "Michael's Garden"[22] (himself)
• 2002: The Proud Family Episode The Party
• 2003: In Concert (BMG/Image)
• 2005: Prime Concerts: In Concert with Edmonton Symphony (Amalgamated)
• 2005: South Park as Tolkien Black (singing voice; archival synthase recording) Episode: "Wing"
• 2006: The Lou Rawls Show: With Duke Ellington & Freda Payne
• 2007: Live in Concert: North Sea Jazz. 1992-1995 (E-M-S)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lou Rawls.

• Lou Rawls discography at Discogs
• Lou Rawls at IMDb
• All Together - Navy recruiting video ("Tell 'em Lou Rawls sent ya")
• Lou Rawls interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)