About this event
Soul music has poured out of Lee Fields since the 1960s, when he was a teenager in North Carolina performing on juke joint stages. Now in his late sixties, the living legend is enjoying the most successful period of his career. Fields has known despair, obscurity and defeat. Although he now tours around the world and helped fellow soul legends Sharon Jones — once his backup singer — and Charles Bradley — whom he took on his first tour — get their first breaks, there were years when he nearly gave up. In the 1980s, as gigs dried up, he worked in real estate and planned to open a restaurant before his wife convinced him to continue: “stick to what you know.” His success today has a bittersweet tinge. Both Jones and Bradley have passed away, leaving Fields to carry their legacy forward. Decades of experience have shaped a worldview rooted in love, faith and the belief that music can connect people. This philosophy finds its fullest expression on It Rains Love, perhaps his most earnest record yet. An album of love, hurt, kindness and wisdom, it allowed Fields to put more of himself into his music than ever before. Its final two songs, “God Is Real” and “Love Is The Answer,” encapsulate much of what he has been trying to express throughout his career. Raised in the Christian faith, Fields sees the divine as something that transcends individual religions. “I believe God is all in all,” he says. “I believe any religion that tells you to do the right thing.” The music itself reaches beyond traditional soul without losing its roots, with “God Is Real” even hinting at dub. Today, Fields stands at the forefront of the soul revival, bringing a sense of timelessness and tradition to 21st-century music. His influence also reaches hip hop, with his music sampled by artists including J. Cole and Travis Scott. His music does not belong to one era: he has been testifying through soul since Otis Redding was alive. He is living history. FOR FANS OF : Syl Johnson, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradle
