Best Male Soul Voices

Soul. How does one define it? Especially when it comes to the essence of Soul Music. There are and have been a lot of male soul singers that have graced us with their savory and melodic presence. As I sit here composing this blog my mind starts to wonder about the best male singers to set fire to song like a three-alarm fire that you don't want to put out. I am talking about singers who make you feel every inch of their pain, love and desires in every word they sing.

So do me the favor and listen to some of my favorite Soul Male singers and let me know what you think. I know this will be up for discussion so let the talks begin. I decided to add old and new on this list from David Ruffin, Sam Cooke to Bilal. Comment or tweet me @stretch_66 your thoughts and favorite singers. Enjoy.

Brother Where Art Thou Soul? .

As I sit here listening to Sam Cooke belt out "A Change Is Gonna Come" something struck me that over the last 20 years in R&B, there has been a problem...it's called "SANG-ING!" 

Yes, there are some great singers currently out there but most of them you may not even heard of since they are indie or so far underground it will take Chilean miners and 3 moles to find them. I miss the days of Donny, Luther, Stevie, Bobby (not Brown) Womack, Otis and Al just to say name a few. There are a few cats out there now that have most definitely been influenced by the kings of yesteryear. Such as R. Kelly, Jaheim, Bilal, Anthony Hamilton and Raheem Devaughn. It is crazy to me how soul music is perceived now. If it isn't overproduced with catchy hooks it doesn't sell. Hell, they don't even care if you can sing now. It's all about having that 15-minutes of fame song that will be on the Top 100 Digital Charts. I don't know about you but just like how I like my women, I like my music with--substance. It doesn't take a genius to write "Birthday Sex", hell I can get sex when it's not even my birthday! But it does takes a genius to write "Rocket Love" and to sing 


"I longed for since I was born 
A woman sensitive and warm  
And that you were 
With pride and strength no one would test 
But yet have feminine finesse 
And so much more"

Now that is what you call a song. 


I know how things happen in cycles and phases but I sure hope that the phase of wack music ends soon. I want my soul back and I want it now! I wish I could have lived and experienced the early Motown years or had a chance to see Black Moses (Issac Hayes) in concert. Don't get me wrong I love music if I didn't I would have never got into radio, programmed for both Yahoo and AOL Radio, worked at Bad Boy. But I do have an issue with the lack of love in music today. So I say this my fellow lovers of music...let's get some soul back into our music! I would hate to raise my kids on BS tunes! Bring on the SANG-ING!!!


Check out some flavor from some of the torch carriers of soul music! Eric Roberson, Bilal and Anthony David. Enjoy.