Soul

Miki Matsubara was a Japanese singer and composer from Sakai, Osaka, Japan. Growing up, music was a big part of her life. Her mother was a jazz singer, and at three years old, Matsubara learned how to play the piano. In 1975, while she was…

Toni Tornado is a Brazilian singer and actor from Mirante do Paranapanema, Brazil. Before his music career began, and his acting career took off, Tornado lived a full life. When he was 11, Tornado ran away from home and he went to Rio De…

Carl Hall was a gospel and a soul singer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who sang in the '60s and the '70s.  In high school, Hall started singing in church.  Shortly after high school, he was recruited by an Ohio-based gospel group called The…

Brenton Wood is a soul singer who had a few hits in the late '60s.   He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but he grew up in San Pedro, California.   In high school, Wood's musical interest began to form.  He learned how to play the piano,…

Melvin Bliss was a soul singer from Chicago, Illinois.  His music career started in the Navy where he sang in a few naval bands throughout the '50s.  When he returned home, he continued performing in local clubs.  By the '70s, Bliss was…

Howard Tate was a singer and songwriter from Elberton, Georgia.  As a teenager, Tate sang in a gospel group called The Gainors.  They recorded a string of songs during the late '50s, but they didn't find much success.  After his stint with…

Jeanette is a Spanish singer who was originally from London, England.  She grew up in Chicago, Illinois and La Habra, California, but she moved to Barcelona, Spain as a teenager.  While in Barcelona, Jeanette learned how to play the guitar,…

William S. Fischer is a keyboardist, saxophonist, arranger, and composer from Shelby, Mississippi.  In the '50s, he performed with artists like Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, and Muddy Waters.   In the '60s, Fischer was primarily an arranger…

The Sweet Things were a vocal trio that formed in Washington, D.C. in the mid '60s.  The trio featured singers Francine Hurd, Dyanne Stewart, and Nancy J. Johnson.  In 1965, they originally made their debut as The Darlettes, but they only…

Quiet Elegance was a singing trio formed in Detroit, Michigan that briefly recorded in the '70s.  The trio included Francis Yvonne "Frankie" Gearing, Mildred "Millie" Vaney, and Lois Reeves.  In the late '60s, Gearing and Vaney performed as…