Arthur Conley (1946-2003)
Too soft for soul

Rotterdam, Nov. 18th. Soul singer Arthur Conley, the American soul singer who died yesterday, had finally found his niche in Ruurlo.

There, in the Achterhoek, the man who was born in McIntosh Alabama had settled after a turbulent life in the United States, Belgium and England. He lived in Holland the last 23 years of his life. He designed tapestries and furniture and also, far away from the music industry, occupied himself with music that was hardly noticed by the world at large.

But Conley's biggest hit 'Sweet Soul Music' can be heard on the radio almost daily. This worldwide hit from 1967 became the anthem of soul. It was no coincidence that two of the biggest names in the history of soul were connected with this song. The music was written by Sam Cooke, young Conley's big idol, the lyrics were by Otis Redding who had discovered Conley and brought him to the famous soul label Stax / Volt.

Redding played a key part in Conley's career. He was a father figure to Conley who started out, as most soul singers, singing gospel. After Redding died in a plane crash in 1967 Conley enjoyed a few more hit songs. As singer of the anthem of soul he was even allowed to be part of the famous Soul Clan, which otherwise was made up by only renowned big stars as Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke. But he felt out of place: despite his magnificent soul voice which eerily resembled Sam Cooke's, the friendly Conley could not survive in the jungle of soul without the support of Redding.

After his diminishing success he had less and less to say on what to record on his new label Capricorn. "It was not my fault I didn't have any more hit songs. I could not record my own songs and they coming up with these he-songs. I tried my best but they did not suit me," he said in an interview with this newspaper about this period.

In the middle of the seventies Conley finally became a great soul voice without a record contract. A few years later he ended up in Holland. Here he recorded, in 1980, before a live and enthusiastic crowd in Amsterdam once more his own soul hits and those of Otis Redding. This was released eight years later on the Soulin' album.

FAME

To be famous you need three things, novelist Geerten Meijsing once said: talent, ambition and social skills.

On the very same day two artists reminded me of this. First I learned of Athur Conley's death from the newspaper. He died at 57 in Ruurlo (the Achterhoek) where he made tapestries in his boyfriend's business.

30 Years ago he was a promising soul singer, destined to be the successor of the great Otis Redding who had died in a plane crash in 1967. On the cover of Conley's first album, Sweet soul music, Redding wrote: "He has one of the most fantastic voices in today's world of entertainment. Although he's only 21 he sings with the self confidence and maturity of many an older singer".

Great soul voices are rare, and Conley possessed it, as testified by the scarce material he has left us. Still, it soon went wrong with his career. What was he lacking? Certainly not talent. I guess he fell short on the other two 'requirements'. In interviews he came across as a modest, sweet man, not hard and cunning enough for the extremely tough world of show business. When record bosses kept demanding him to be more commercial he called it a day.

In an almost sold out Kleine Komedie I saw Mary Gauthier perform last night etc..

Soulsinger Arthur Conley has died Ruurlo, Tuesday

The American soulsinger Arthur Conley (57) has died in his house in Ruurlo. Conley scored a worldwide smash in 1967 with 'Sweet soul music'. He suffered from cancer.

Conley was born on the 4th of January 1946 in Georgia. His voice resembled Sam Cooke's, he was the protege and successor to be of Otis Redding, but he fled away from the world of soul. In the Achterhoek he successfully found anonymity as 'Lee Roberts'. He was active as a musician in soul bands. He also designed furniture and tapestries. "I've been all over the world, from Helsinki to South Africa, from Berlin to Los Angeles. In the middle of this cross lies Holland. When, in 1978, it was time to settle down it was obvious where I had to go", was the explanation of the soul artist for his move.

Soul singer Conley (57) died

Amsterdam - The American soul singer Arthur Conley (57) died in his house in Ruurlo yesterday. Conley scored a world wide smash in 1967 with the song 'Sweet soul music'. Other well known songs by him were 'Shake, rattle and roll'(1967) and 'Funky street'(1968). Conley died of cancer.

Conley was born on the 4th of January 1946 in Georgia. In his native town he was known as Sam Cooke junior because of the resemblance. Otis Redding, a star from the Stax Records stable in Memphis took Conley under his wing and rewrote an old gospel tune into 'Sweet soul music' for Conley. It was a world wide success. "He took me by the hand and led me to the top. A simple country boy, who found himself suddenly amongst the big soul stars" Conley said in an interview. A plane crash in 1967 ended Redding's life. His death shook up Conley's life. "I missed Otis terribly. When he died I was still the frightened little boy who had to survive in a tough business world. I didn't have to guts to speak up for myself and did as I was told." The records he made after the death of Otis Redding were flops. At the end of the seventies Conley moved to Holland. In the Achterhoek he found anonymity as 'Lee Roberrts'. From Ruurlo he played in soul bands. He also designed chairs and tapestries. "I've been all over the world, from Helsinki to South Africa, form Berlin to Los Angeles. In the middle of this cross lies Holland. When it was time to settle down in 1978 it was obvious where to go" the soul artist said.

Soul man in the grooves of the Achterhoek

Arthur Conley made world history with 'Sweet Soul Music'

Arthur Conley could have been famous and lived in Beverly Hills. It was to be the Achterhoek. The soul singer who died on Monday thoroughly hated his biggest hit. And the people who wanted to turn him into a vinyl-machine.

At the start there's tehh-tetete-tetete... three times. Then there's a silence of at least a bar and then Arthur Conley jumps into the spotlight at his most energetic. Do You Like Good Music? Sweet Soul Music?

If the soul singer, who died at the age of 57 from cancer in the Achterhoek meant anything it was this beautiful intro from Sweet Soul Music, recorded on Jan. 20th 1967 at Fame studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Conley wrote music history with this and had a giant hit. It could only mean one thing. He was to be the new Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. This southern soul manifesto was his way up. The beginning of a prolonged soul scream - yeah - yeah - which should have brought him fame, glamour and a villa in Beverly Hills.

That it would finally bring him to Ruurlo where his companion friend Jos ran a tapestry business, was hard to understand for soul fans. How could such a big soul man disappear in the grooves of the Achterhoek, where he lived in an apartment above his mother-in-law?

Three years ago, Lee Roberts, as Arthur Conley had called himself for years, said that he had to run away from Sweet Soul Music - the song he was to hate for many years. They wanted to turn him into a swingin' soul machine who would produce hit after hit record. As if he were not a Real Human Being but a certain commodity that spat out vinyl discs. He was the protege of Otis Redding who made the then-18-year- old record for the first time in the Stax Studios in Memphis: I'm a lonesome stranger. Conley was allowed to join Redding's big soul revue to Europe where he experienced extremely jealous colleagues for the first time. After Otis Redding died from a plane crash in December 1967, Conley had it hard. Without his mentor he still went out on the road with big stars like Solomon Burke, Don Covay, Joe Tex and Ben E. King (The Soul Clan). But there was no brotherhood between the soul brothers. Conley felt like he was being bulldozered.

In the end he fled to Europe, changed his name and met Jos for whom he started to design tapestries. In the Achterhoek he felt closer to his African roots and there were good vibes. 'Here's the crossing point of everything' he said. The last few years centered around his babies and muppies, young musicians whose careers he helped. He tried to protect them from the commercial trappings of the music industry so those babies would not be destroyed by their own success. Because after tehh-tetete-tetete (three times) there should be more in a musician's life.

LOU CHRISTIE
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