Johnson County Community College
Press Release
College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122
10/4/2005
Story by Peggy Graham
Lou Rawls Sings Sinatra, Rawls
Frank Sinatra once praised Lou Rawls for having “the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game.” Today Rawls returns the compliment by releasing an album, Rawls Sings Sinatra, and taking the show on the road. Rawls performs Rawls Sings Sinatra, Rawls Sings Rawls at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, in Yardley Hall, including favorites like Come Fly With Me, Nice ‘N’ Easy, That’s Life, Summer Wind and Rawl’s own hits. Rawls was scheduled to perform as part of the 2004-2005 Carlsen Center season but had to cancel due to illness, increasing anticipation for this performance.
Rawls has a voice as distinctive and recognizable as any in music. His voice and personality have given him a tremendous career – early days in gospel, collaborations with high school classmate Sam Cooke, opening for The Beatles in 1966 at Crosley Field, Cincinnati, and
delivering monologues about life and love. He has recorded more than 60 albums and won three Grammys, one platinum and five gold albums and a gold single. The one constant in his 40 years as a recording artist is a voice that one critic called “sweet as sugar, soft as velvet, strong as steel, smooth as butter.”
I’ve gone the full spectrum – from gospel to blues to jazz to soul to pop – and the public has accepted what I’ve done through it all,” Rawls said. “I think it means I’ve been doing something right at the right time.”
Rawls began singing gospel when he was a member of the Baptist church choir on the South Side of Chicago. As a teenager, he made trips to Regal Theatre to see Billy Eckstine, Arthur Prysock and Joe Williams. Influenced by doo-wop, he harmonized with Cooke in groups such as the Teenage Kings of Harmony.
After a stint in the Army, Rawls was touring with Cooke and The Pilgrim Travelers when a serious car accident left Cooke slightly injured and Rawls in a coma for nearly six days. Rawls said the accident changed his life, giving him direction and understanding. After a year’s recovery, he went on to play small R&B, pop and soul clubs in L.A., when Nick Venet, a producer at Capitol Records, was so impressed with his four-octave range that he invited him to make an audition tape. From there his recording made history. Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing in 1966 was twice Grammy-nominated.
He began his monologues with World of Trouble and Tobacco Road. His “raps” were so popular that his 1967 Dead End Street won him his first Grammy for best R&B vocal performance. His recording success continued with Natural Man, You’ll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine) and Unmistakably Lou.
In 1976, Rawls became the corporate spokesman for Anheuser Busch, which led in 1980 to the company’s sponsorship of two events which have continued to this day. One was a series of concerts for American military personnel on bases around the world. The other is a telethon whose proceeds, now more than $200 million, are donated to the United Negro College Fund.
In addition to Rawls’ singing and humanitarian work, Rawls has acted in television series and movies. In feature films he appeared in Leaving Las Vegas and appeared on Broadway in a one-man show in the ’70s and Smokey Joe’s Cafe in 1999.
Rawls released his new album, Rawls Sings Sinatra, in 2003. Sinatra once said about the two of them that they were saloon singers – voices, that’s all, reaching into hearts and souls.
Tickets for Lou Rawls $45 and $37, available by calling the Carlsen Center box office, 913-469-4445, or online at www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.
