I was working for Leon Patillo when he left Santana to start out on his solo career in 1982. Leon was featured as one of the main artists at a festival called the “Mudfest” in Memphis. We followed a local soul singer, Al Green, that turned are world upside down. His style was absolutely unique, his energy was way over the top. We thought he was high on cocaine due to his boundless energy on stage but soon learned that his energy was all natural. I ran into him at a recording studio in Nashville a while back. Nothing has changed, his energy and passion for life is still with him.
Few artists in the history of popular recorded music can lay claim to as unique and lasting of a legacy as Al Green. From a humble childhood in a remote farm area of Arkansas, he rose to become an internationally acclaimed performer and revered minister commanding stages over the course of more than four decades. Generation-defining records such as “Let’s Stay Together,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “Love and Happiness,” “Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” and “I’m Still in Love with You” have set the bar for soul music.