Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls (December 1, 1933the time of death, some sources gave Lou Rawls' year of birth as 1935. Dozens of Web site biographies echo this error. – January 6, 2006) was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game".Kennedy Center: Find a Performance Rawls released more than 70 albums, sold more than 40 million records, appeared as an actor in motion pictures and on television, and voiced-over many cartoons. He had been called "The Funkiest Man Alive".

Rawls is the subject of an upcoming biopic, tentatively titled "Through The Eyes Of A Son." Rawls' son, Lou Rawls Jr., is the author of the script. Rawls will reportedly be portrayed by the actor Isaiah Washington.Lou Rawls biopic in the works

Career

Lou Rawls, who learned of gospel music through his grandmother in Chicago, became a successful singer, primarily from the 1950s through the 1980s.Rawls succumbs to cancer, Chatham Daily News (ON). News, Saturday, January 7, 2006, p. 7. accessed on October 6, 2006. He was a high school classmate of music giant Sam Cooke, and they sang together in the Teenage Kings of Harmony, a '50s gospel group.