I learned today that Solomon Burke died. I had the chance to meet him some years ago at a festival I was playing. He was funny, engaging, and in a lot of ways the character you’d expect to meet if you’d read about him or his amazing life.

His 2002 record Don’t Give Up on Me changed the way I think of and approach music. A lot of that had to do with the beautiful production by Joe Henry, but Solomon took an idea that could have made any other record interesting and made it magical. He had some hilarious stories about how he and Joe got together to make that record, and he put a really human and approachable touch to the memories I have of that record and that time in general.

I’ve only met him once, but I’ll miss having the King of Soul around.