Lou Rawls

Lou Rawls has gone the distance - from gospel to blues to jazz to soul to pop. And through it all, the four-time Grammy Award winner's voice has remained as distinctive as any on the charts. It's a voice that one critic called "as sweet as sugar, soft as velvet, strong as steel, and smooth as butter." His recordings have garnered one platinum and six gold albums, plus a gold single. He's been seen in Hollywood films including Leaving Las Vegas, and on television he provided his unique vocal styling for three Garfield the Cat animated specials. Also known for his wide-ranging philanthropic work, Rawls has raised more than $100 million for the United Negro College Fund. As a result, there is now a Lou Rawls Drive in his hometown of Chicago, and he has been awarded five honorary doctorates. Frank Sinatra admired Rawls and said that he had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game." Ol' Blue Eyes thought that he and Rawls were two of a kind - saloon singers whose voices could reach into a listener's heart and soul. Now, Rawls brings his unique tribute to Sinatra and his own special style to Newlin Hall as Rawls Sings Sinatra and Rawls Sings Rawls.