Al Green

Al Green grew up singing gospel in Arkansas, where his father was a minister. He formed his first group, The Green Brothers, with his siblings when he was sixteen. In 1967, he signed with Hi Records and began recording as a solo artist.

His 1971 single "Let's Stay Together" became a massive hit, propelled by his smooth, pleading vocal and an irresistible groove. That song, along with others like "Love And Happiness," "Tired Of Being Alone," and "I'm Still In Love With You," defined his sound in the early 1970s. He worked closely with producer Willie Mitchell at Hi Records, and the Memphis Horns provided the brass arrangements that became a hallmark of his recordings.

In 1973, Green was badly burned in a domestic accident, an event that led to a period of personal struggle. By the late 1970s, he had undergone a religious conversion and stepped away from secular music for a time. He returned to recording in the 1980s, though his later work never quite reached the commercial peak of his early hits.