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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZGREEN, Al(b 13 April 1946, Forrest City AL) Soul singer and songwriter with one of the most beautiful voices of all. He grew up in Grand Rapids MI, singing in family gospel group the Green Brothers all over the Midwest. He joined a local group the Creations, some of whom later joined Junior Walker's All Stars; others formed Hot Line Music Journal label in Detroit and signed Green as a solo. 'Back Up Train' '68 was no. 5 in the soul chart and crossed over to the Hot 100; 'Lovers' Hideaway' and 'Don't Hurt Me No More' did well on soul chart, while 'Guilty' and 'Hot Wire' made the Hot 100 when later reissued on Bell. The big time came when he switched to the Hi label (distributed by Bell) and began working with producer Willie Mitchell: his cover of the Temptations' 'I Can't Get Next To You' made no. 60 on the Hot 100. He wrote his own million-seller 'Tired Of Being Alone '71, meanwhile began writing with Hi producer Willie Mitchell and drummer Al Jackson (see Booker T): they wrote hits 'Let's Stay Together' (no. 1 '71), 'Look What You Done For Me', 'I'm Still In Love With You', 'You Ought To Be With Me', all '72; and 'Call Me' '73; Green wrote 'Here I Am' '73 with Mabon Hodges; 'Sha La La (Makes Me Happy)' '75 was written by Mitchell. Fourteen albums also charted '71-7, including top ten LPs Let's Stay Together and I'm Still In Love With You, both '72, and Call Me '73; first LP on Hi Green Is Blues charted later, in '73; Al Green '72 was a compilation on Bell of '67-8 recordings. Thirteen top 40 singles '71-6 in the soul chart included 10 in the Hot 100; there were eight gold discs. Green's beautiful sweet-soul voice was compared to that of Otis Redding: he could portray any sort of emotion, but then gave it up, became a clergyman and bought a church where is still preaching today. For a long time he sang only gospel music; he appeared with Patti LaBelle '82 on Broadway in Your Arm's Too Short To Box With God; LPs included Higher Plane and Precious Lord; I'll Rise Again '83 and Trust In God '84 on Myrrh; He Is The Light late '85 on A&M. Fourteen LPs reissued in Hi Series from Demon in UK included three gospel albums. Capitol's The Right Stuff issued four-CD Anthology '97 with 61 tracks. More secular material included Don't Look Back and Your Heart's In Good Hands '94-5. There were more albums, and Lay It Down 2008 won a Grammy with a batch of new Green originals. The Immortal Soul of Al Green 2003 was probably the best anthology, 4-CDs of Hi tracks on EMI's The Right Stuff label. There have been books about him, including a ghost-written autobiography whiich Green says he never read, but Jimmy McDonough interviewed a great many people who have worked with Green over the years, and his Soul Survivor 2017 probably captures this complicated man as well as it can be done. |