Soul grew directly out of church gospel: the same fervent, emotional manner of singing — with shouts, melismas, and call-and-response — was carried over to secular songs about love, freedom, and dignity. The voice is soul's principal instrument.
The genre's father is often named as Ray Charles, its “Queen of Soul” as Aretha Franklin (Respect). Recognisable sounds formed around the labels Motown (Detroit) and Stax (Memphis). In the age of the civil-rights struggle, soul became the voice and pride of the African-American community. Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye deepened the genre, and James Brown's ferocious rhythmic drive soon gave birth to funk.
