Soul music was born in the 1960s and '70s from a combination of 1950s rhythm and blues and older African-American music genres---blues and gospel. Because white American society shunned their views, African-Americans used music to communicate and express cultural concerns and beliefs. After the Civil War, many African-Americans worked in the vaudeville tradition from the 1880s to 1920s, where performers from every ethnic and social background were welcomed. The popularity of vaudeville paved the way for the general acceptance of new African-American musical genres like jazz, rhythm and blues and soul music. Soul combined the longing of blues, the passion of gospel and the drama of vaudeville to form a whole new musical genre.
Ray Charles became the most famous blind man in the U.S. by setting simple lyrics to gospel rhythms in songs like "I Got a Woman," and "Hit the Road Jack." He became the first African- American to cross over to white pop charts with the hit "Georgia on My Mind." James Brown incorporated both sexual and religious expression in songs like "Please, Please, Please" and "I'll Go Crazy." He is known for his extreme stage dramatics and primal screams. Aretha Franklin is one of the most revered female soul singers, displaying wide vocal range and control while openly expressing longings and emotions in songs like "Natural Woman" and "Respect."
The messages of soul music vary in specific content from artist to artist. Two themes commonly found in soul are sensuality and spirituality. Ray Charles shocked and delighted the music establishment by turning religion into sexuality with seductive song lyrics and gospel-style piano licks. Aretha Franklin empowered women and the feminist movement by turning sexuality into religion with her bold expression of female desires and sensuality. James Brown frightened parents and made young girls swoon while embodying sex onstage with his wild gyrations and primal cries.
During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, soul music was used to express political desires and demands for equality and social change. Sam Cooke released "A Change Is Gonna Come" in 1964, and Curtis Mayfield wrote inspiring anthems like 1964's "Keep on Pushing" and 1965's "People Get Ready." As a popular, purely African-American music genre, soul was a natural rallying music for civil rights protesters.
Soul music in the 21st century has gained new interest and something of a revival. Popular artists like Alicia Keys, Keyshia Cole, Usher and Amy Winehouse are considered soul singers. Color, age and gender are all irrelevant in today's global culture. The main ingredients of soul music remain true passion, intensity of emotion and the ability to convey it all through music so it touches a spot in the listener's soul.