Half a century after his death in a plane crash in Wisconsin, singer Otis Redding still has an uncanny power to move people. Here’s a compilation of songs that offer ample evidence of why Redding deserves a treasured place in pop-music history. Continue reading
To most of the listening public, the name “Percy Sledge” is the answer to a trivia question: What soul singer sang the 1966 romantic classic, “When A Man Loves A Woman”? However, Sledge was a lot more than just a one-hit wonder. Continue reading
Famed drummer and longtime Madison resident Clyde Stubblefield is one of the featured interviewees in a new documentary about soul legend James Brown, which will air on HBO this week. Continue reading
James Brown’s death last month concluded a career and influence in 20th Century pop music that few figures could equal. But in the rush of eulogies, the truth depth of Brown’s musical legacy was typically waxed over. Soundbytes’ David Hyland remembers Soul Brother No. 1 by examining a few of his overlooked masterworks. Continue reading
Curtis Mayfield’s delicate falsetto always had a cool feeling to it. And yet, it was the burning-passion of his songs that solidified his reputation as one of soul music’s greatest singer-songwriters and social critics. Mayfield died on Dec. 26, 1999. He was 57. Continue reading
Beck Hansen is rock music’s man of a thousand faces. As this week’s release of his new album, “Midnite Vultures,” shows, he is again heading in some surprising new directions. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 