I'd like to add Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame and from a later era, Sweet Pea Atkinson and Sir Harry Bowens, frontmen of you-know-who. Cee-Lo Green certainly is the most distinctive sounding current soul singer.
I enjoy the creamy falsetto of the Stylistics' Russell Thompkins Jr., the guy who sang "Betcha By Golly, Wow", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", "You Are Everything", "Break Up To Make Up", and "I'm Stone In Love With You". Christgau had a great line. "James Taylor is merely a wimp", he said. "Russell Thompkins Jr. is a Wimp God".
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-04-03 01:19 by tatters.
apart from the great ones already mentioned, i would include Donny Hathaway into the mix. edit: surprised nobody has mentioned Ray Charles yet. Smokey Robinson. Richard Manuel!!!
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-04-03 02:09 by ineedadrink.
In no particular order... 1. Wilson Pickett 2. Bobby Womack 3. Solomon Burke 4. Jerry Butler 5. Sam and Dave 6. Joe Tex 7. Eddie Floyd 8. Otis 9. Aretha 10. Ray...I could go on and on.
Sam Cooke L.C. Cooke Arthur Conley Bobby Womack Curtis Womack James Brown Johnnie Taylor Carl Sims Wilson Pickett Joe Tex Z.Z. Hill Eddie Hinton David Ruffin George Jackson,