Eddie Floyd

A classic American soul singer who was part of legendary R&B label Stax Records' roster of artists in the 1960s, Eddie Floyd's enthusiastic and charismatic performances epitomised the Memphis sound of the era. Raised in Detroit, he started out singing in the influential, prototype Motown harmony group The Falcons alongside Wilson Pickett in the mid-1950s before joining Stax as songwriter and working with the house band Booker T. and the M.G.'s. He wrote Pickett's solo hit 634-5789 (Soulsville USA), but got his big break when his solo track Knock On Wood (initially intended for Otis Redding) made the US Top 30 and became a timeless R&B classic covered by David Bowie, Eric Clapton and made into a disco tune by Amii Stewart. Though never a major mainstream star, he was one of the important figures in the development of soul and, with co-writer Steve Cropper, penned some of the landmarks of the genre including Big Bird, Raise Your Hand, Bring It On Home To Me and You Don't Know What You Mean To Me. In later years Floyd appeared in the movie Blues Brothers 2000 and toured with the Blues Brothers band as well as with Bill Wyman, and returned to a re-founded Stax for his 15th studio album Eddie Loves You So in 2008.