Topic: Lou Rawls
Friday, January 6, 2006, 7:55 AM PST
LOS ANGELES (AP) A spokesman for Lou Rawls says the singer died of
cancer in the early morning in a Los Angeles hospital.
Singer Lou Rawls
Now Playing: Singer Lou Rawls confirmed he is being treated for lung cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Topic: Lou Rawls
Rawls was diagnosed 12 months ago and in May was found to also have brain cancer, his 35-year-old wife, Nina, said Thursday during their marriage annulment hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court.
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From gospel and early R&B to soul and jazz to blues and straight-up pop, Lou Rawls was a consummate master of African-American vocal music whose versatility helped him adapt to the changing musical times over and over again, while always remaining unmistakably himself. Blessed with a four-octave vocal range, Rawls' smooth, classy elegance -- sort of a cross between Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole -- permeated nearly everything he sang, yet the fire of his early gospel days was never too far from the surface. He made his name as a crooner, first by singing jazz standards, then moving on to soul in the mid-'60s, and capped the most commercial phase of his career with a productive stint at Philadelphia International during the latter half of the '70s. Even after his days as a chart presence were over, Rawls remained a highly visible figure on the American cultural landscape, pursuing an acting and voice-over career in addition to his continued concert appearances, and doing extensive charity work on behalf of the United Negro College Fund.
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