Al Green (musician)

   

Al Green (b. April 13, 1946) is an American soul and later, a gospel singer, born in Forrest City, Arkansas. He started out in a quartet called the Green Brothers, which toured extensively in the mid 1950s in the south, but then the Greens moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Al Green was kicked out of the group by his father because he was caught listening to Jackie Wilson.

Green formed a group called Al Green & the Creations in high school. Curtis Rogers and Palmer James, two members of the Creations, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. The band, now known as the Soul Mates, recorded "Back Up Train" and released it on Hot Line Music; the song was a R&B hit. The Soul Mates' subsequent singles did not sell as well. Al Green met Willie Mitchell of Hi Records in 1969, and signed with the label.

Green's debut album with Hi Records was Green is Blue, a slow, horn-driven, groovy album that allowed Green to show off his powerful and expressive voice. The album was a moderate success. The next LP, though, Al Green Gets Next To You (1970), was a massive success that included four gold singles. Let's Stay Together (1972) was an even bigger success, as was I'm Still In Love With You (1972). Call Me was a critical sensation, and was also just as popular at the time; it is one of his most fondly remembered albums today.

On October 18, 1974, Green's girlfriend, Mary Woodson, poured boiling grits on him as he was showering, causing second-degree burns on his back, stomach and arm. She then killed herself in an adjacent bedroom. Green converted to Christianity after recovering from the assault and in 1976 became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, Tennessee. Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and the critics grew steadily harsher. 1977's The Belle Album was critically acclaimed but did not regain his former mass audience. In 1979, Green was injured in concert and interpreted this as a sign from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel singing, also appearing in 1982 with Patti Labelle in the musical Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God. His first gospel album was The Lord Will Make a Way. From 1981 to 1989 Green recorded a series of gospel recordings, garnering seven gospel Grammy Awards in that period.

After spending several years on gospel, Green began to return to R&B. First, he released a duet with Annie Lennox, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" for Scrooged, a Bill Murray film. His first secular album in some time was Your Heart's In Good Hands (1995), released to positive reviews but disappointing sales, the same year Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Due to his gospel recording work done primarily in the 1980s, Green was given the Grammy Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

In 2003, Green released a non-religious (secular) album entitled I Can't Stop. The next year, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

Compilation albums are listed only if they got in the charts.

  • 1967 "Back Up Train"
  • 1970 "Green is Blues" #19 US
  • 1971 "Al Green Gets Next to You" #58 US
  • 1972 "Let's Stay Together" #8 US
  • 1972 "I'm Still in Love with You" #4 US
  • 1972 "Al Green" (compilation) #162 US
  • 1973 "Call Me" #10 US
  • 1973 "Livin' for You" #24 US
  • 1974 "Al Green Explores Your Mind" #15 US
  • 1975 "Al Green is Love" #28 US
  • 1975 "Al Green's Greatest Hits" #17 US, #18 UK
  • 1976 "Full of Fire" #59 US
  • 1976 "Have a Good Time" #93 US
  • 1977 "The Belle Album" #103 US
  • 1977 "Al Green's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" #134 US
  • 1978 "Truth N' Time"
  • 1980 "The Lord Will Make a Way"
  • 1981 "Higher Plane"
  • 1981 "Tokyo Live"
  • 1982 "Precious Lord"
  • 1983 "I'll Rise Again"
  • 1983 "The Christmas Album"
  • 1984 "Trust in God"
  • 1985 "He is the Light"
  • 1986 "White Christmas"
  • 1987 "Soul Survivor" #131 US
  • 1988 "Hi Life - The Best of Al Green" #34 UK
  • 1989 "I Get Joy"
  • 1992 "Love is Reality"
  • 1993 "Gospel Soul"
  • 1995 "Your Heart's in Good Hands"
  • 2000 "Take Me to the River" (compilation) #186 US
  • 2001 "Feels Like Christmas"
  • 2002 "Love - The Essential Al Green" #18 UK
  • 2003 "I Can't Stop" #53 US
  • 2003 "The Love Songs Collection" (compilation) #91 US
  • 2005 "Everything's OK"

Hit singles

  • 1971 "Tired of Being Alone" #11 US, #4 UK
  • 1972 "Let's Stay Together" #1 US, #7 UK
  • 1972 "I'm Still in Love with You" #3 US, #35 UK
  • 1972 "Look What You Done for Me" #4 US
  • 1972 "You Ought to be with Me" #3 US
  • 1973 "Call Me (Come Back Home)" #10 US
  • 1973 "Here I am (Come and Take Me)" #10 US
  • 1974 "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" #7 US, #20 UK
  • 1974 "Let's Get Married" #32 US
  • 1974 "Livin' for You" #19 US
  • 1975 "L-O-V-E (Love)" #13 US, #24 UK
  • 1975 "Full of Fire" #28 US
  • 1977 "Keep Me Cryin'" #37 US
  • 1988 "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (with Annie Lennox) #9 US, #28 UK
  • 1989 "The Message is Love" (Arthur Baker and The Backbeat Disciples feat. Al Green) #38 UK


For the Democratic candidate for District 25 in Texas and the former head of the Houston NAACP, please see Al Green (politician).





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