Al Green

Al Green
Born	Albert Leornes Greene 13 4, 1946
Birthplace	Forrest City, Arkansas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, pastor, record producer
Known for	"Let's Stay Together," "Tired of Being Alone," soul music, gospel ministry
Awards	11 Grammy Awards (including Lifetime Achievement Award), Kennedy Center Honors, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee

Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor, and record producer whose recordings in the early 1970s established him as one of the defining voices of soul music. Born in rural Arkansas and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Green rose to international prominence through a series of hit singles—including "Tired of Being Alone" (1971), "Let's Stay Together" (1972), "I'm Still in Love with You" (1972), "Love and Happiness" (1973), and "Take Me to the River" (1974)—that combined emotional depth, vocal nuance, and sophisticated production into a sound that became synonymous with Memphis soul. His long collaboration with producer and arranger Willie Mitchell and the Hi Rhythm Section at Hi Records yielded some of the most commercially and critically successful recordings in the history of American popular music. Following a personal crisis in the mid-1970s, Green became an ordained pastor and shifted his focus to gospel music throughout the 1980s before eventually returning to secular recording and performance. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, has won eleven Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a 2014 Kennedy Center Honors recipient. In January 2026, Green returned with a new EP, To Love Somebody, released via Fat Possum Records.

Early Life

Albert Leornes Greene was born on April 13, 1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas, a small city in the Mississippi Delta region of the state. He was one of several children in a large family steeped in the traditions of Southern gospel music. The Greene family relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan, during Green's childhood, part of the broader Great Migration that brought millions of African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North and Midwest in search of economic opportunity.

In Grand Rapids, Green and his brothers formed a gospel group, performing in churches and at local events. Music was a central part of family life, and Green's early exposure to gospel singing laid the foundation for the vocal style he would later bring to secular soul music. As a teenager, Green began listening to and absorbing the sounds of popular R&B and soul artists of the era, a musical interest that reportedly created tension within his devoutly religious household. According to various accounts, his father disapproved of his son's interest in secular music, and Green was expelled from the family gospel group after being caught listening to popular music.

Despite this early conflict between sacred and secular musical worlds—a tension that would recur throughout his life and career—Green continued to pursue popular music. In 1966, he and several friends formed a group called Al Green & the Soul Mates, based in Grand Rapids. The group recorded and released the single "Back Up Train," which became a regional and then a national hit, reaching the R&B charts. The success of "Back Up Train" gave Green his first taste of commercial recognition and set the stage for his eventual move to Memphis, Tennessee, where his career would reach its greatest heights.

Career

Early Career and Move to Memphis

After the modest success of "Back Up Train" in the late 1960s, Green struggled to replicate that initial commercial breakthrough. He toured as a solo act and performed on the club circuit but had difficulty securing a follow-up hit. His career trajectory changed decisively around 1969 when he was introduced to Willie Mitchell, a bandleader, producer, and vice president of Hi Records, a Memphis-based independent label. Mitchell saw enormous potential in Green's voice and invited him to record at Royal Studios in Memphis.

The partnership between Green and Mitchell proved transformative. Mitchell served as producer and arranger, crafting a lush, understated sonic backdrop that showcased Green's vocal abilities. The recordings were made with the Hi Rhythm Section, a group of studio musicians whose tight, fluid playing became integral to the sound of Hi Records and to Green's recordings in particular. Mitchell's production approach emphasized space, restraint, and groove, allowing Green's voice—with its distinctive combination of falsetto, whisper, and full-throated power—to occupy the center of each track.

Commercial Peak: 1971–1974

Green's commercial breakthrough came with the release of "Tired of Being Alone" in 1971, which became a Top 20 pop hit and a Top 10 R&B hit. The single introduced Green's mature sound to a national audience and set the stage for an extraordinary run of chart success.

The follow-up single, "Let's Stay Together," released in late 1971, became Green's signature song and one of the most recognizable recordings in the history of soul music. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart, making it Green's biggest commercial hit. The album of the same name, Let's Stay Together (1972), was a critical and commercial success.

Over the next several years, Green and Mitchell produced a remarkable series of albums and singles that dominated the R&B charts and crossed over consistently to pop audiences. Hit singles during this period included "I'm Still in Love with You" (1972), "Love and Happiness" (1973), "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" (1973), "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" (1974), and "Take Me to the River" (1974). Albums such as I'm Still in Love with You (1972), Call Me (1973), Livin' for You (1973), and Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974) sustained Green's position as one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed artists in American popular music.

The sound Green and Mitchell created during this period has been described as a canonical expression of Memphis soul. It was characterized by smooth, warm production; rhythmically sophisticated arrangements built around organ, guitar, bass, and drums; and Green's vocal performances, which moved fluidly between intimacy and intensity. The recordings were made almost exclusively at Royal Studios in Memphis with the Hi Rhythm Section, giving them a cohesive sonic identity.

The 1974 Incident and Spiritual Turning Point

On October 18, 1974, Green's personal life and career were dramatically altered by a violent incident at his Memphis home. Mary Woodson, a woman with whom Green had been in a relationship, attacked him by pouring a pot of boiling grits on his back while he was bathing, inflicting severe burns on much of his body. Woodson then died by suicide with Green's handgun.

The traumatic event marked a turning point in Green's life. Although he continued to record secular music for Hi Records through the mid-1970s, the incident intensified a spiritual crisis that had been developing for some time. Green increasingly felt a calling toward the ministry and away from the secular music industry. He later described the period as one of profound personal and spiritual transformation.

Ordination and Gospel Career

In 1976, Green purchased a church in Memphis, the Full Gospel Tabernacle, and was ordained as a pastor. He continued to release albums on Hi Records through the late 1970s, but his music increasingly incorporated gospel themes and moved away from the romantic soul that had defined his earlier career.

By the early 1980s, Green had fully committed to gospel music, releasing a series of gospel albums that earned him multiple Grammy Awards in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category. His gospel recordings, while less commercially prominent than his secular hits, were well received by critics and by the gospel music community. Green continued to serve as pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, where he preached regularly. The church became a notable attraction in Memphis, drawing visitors and tourists who came to hear Green preach and sing during Sunday services.

Return to Secular Music

Green gradually returned to secular recording and performance beginning in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. He released the album Your Heart's in Good Hands in 1995, which represented a more explicit return to soul and R&B material. He also performed live with increasing frequency, appearing at major concert venues and festivals.

In the 2000s and beyond, Green continued to record and perform. He collaborated with a variety of contemporary artists and appeared at major events. His live performances were noted for their energy and for Green's continued vocal power. He maintained his dual identity as both a soul music icon and an active pastor, continuing to lead services at the Full Gospel Tabernacle while touring and recording.

In 2009, Green released Lay It Down, an album produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots. The album featured collaborations with contemporary artists and was released on Blue Note Records. It received favorable reviews and represented Green's highest-profile secular release in years.

Later Career

Green continued to perform selectively into the 2010s and 2020s. He maintained his role as pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle while making occasional public and musical appearances. In February 2026, NPR's Fresh Air program aired a feature on Green titled "How Al Green Found His Voice," examining his musical development and career.

In January 2026, Green released the EP To Love Somebody via Fat Possum Records. The EP featured a collaboration with the British singer RAYE, marking Green's continued engagement with new music and younger artists well into his eighth decade.

Personal Life

Green's personal life has been marked by the interplay between his secular music career and his religious faith, a tension that has defined much of his public biography. The most widely reported event in his personal life was the 1974 attack by Mary Woodson, which left Green with severe burns and profoundly affected his subsequent life choices, contributing to his decision to enter the ministry.

Green was ordained as a pastor and has led the Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Memphis, Tennessee, for decades. He has continued to preach at the church, which became a destination for visitors to Memphis.

In February 2015, it was reported that Green's sister had been missing for approximately 18 months, and the family publicly appealed for information regarding her whereabouts.

Green resides in Memphis, Tennessee, where he has lived since his initial move to the city in the late 1960s. He is sometimes referred to as "The Reverend Al Green" or "Bishop Al Green" in recognition of his ministerial role.

It is important to note that the singer Al Green is a distinct individual from U.S. Representative Al Green (D-Texas), a Democratic congressman from Houston who has been the subject of recent political news coverage.

Recognition

Green has received extensive recognition for his contributions to American music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's website describes him as "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music." He has also been called "The Last of the Great Soul Singers."

Green is the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, spanning both his gospel and secular recordings. These include multiple awards in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category during the 1980s and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognized the totality of his contributions to music.

In 2014, Green was named a Kennedy Center Honors recipient, alongside Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Sting, and Patricia McBride. The Kennedy Center Honors recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to American culture through the performing arts.

Green received the BMI Icon award, which recognizes songwriters and composers who have had a lasting influence on the music industry.

In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine included Green in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," ranking him at number 65. The magazine later included him in its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time," placing him at number 10, reflecting the high esteem in which his vocal abilities are held within the music critical community.

Legacy

Al Green's influence on American popular music extends across multiple decades and genres. His recordings from the early 1970s, produced in collaboration with Willie Mitchell and the Hi Rhythm Section, are considered foundational works of soul music and have influenced generations of singers and musicians. The sound Green and Mitchell created at Royal Studios—characterized by its warmth, subtlety, and emotional directness—has been cited as an influence by artists across R&B, hip-hop, pop, and rock music.

"Take Me to the River," originally recorded by Green in 1974, was covered by the new wave band Talking Heads in 1978, introducing Green's songwriting to a broader rock audience and demonstrating the cross-genre appeal of his material. "Let's Stay Together" has remained a staple of popular culture, appearing in numerous films, television programs, and advertisements, and is frequently cited in polls and critical assessments as one of the greatest songs in the history of recorded music.

Green's career trajectory—from secular soul superstar to ordained pastor and gospel artist, and then back to secular performance—reflects broader cultural tensions between sacred and secular expression in African American music. His ability to inhabit both worlds, and his public navigation of that tension, has made him a figure of cultural as well as musical significance.

The Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, where Green has served as pastor, has itself become a cultural landmark, attracting visitors from around the world who wish to hear Green preach and sing in a worship setting.

Green's continued recording activity into his eighth decade, including the 2026 EP To Love Somebody, demonstrates his enduring engagement with music-making. His voice and recordings remain reference points in discussions of American vocal artistry and soul music history, and his body of work at Hi Records constitutes one of the most critically celebrated catalogs in the history of popular music.