Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

s in the early 1970s, including " Tired of Being Alone" (1971), " I'm Still in Love with You" (1972), " Love and Happiness" (1973), " Take Me to the River" (1974), and his

signature song A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...

, " Let's Stay Together" (1972). After his girlfriend died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

, Green became an ordained

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

and turned to

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

. He later returned to

secular music Non-religious secular music and Religious music, sacred music were the two main genres of Western world, Western music during the Middle Ages and Renaissance music, Renaissance era. The oldest written examples of secular music are songs with Lat ...

. Green was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 1995. He was referred to on the museum's site as being "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music". He has also been referred to as "The Last of the Great Soul Singers". Green is the winner of 11 Grammy Awards, including the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

. He has also received the BMI Icon award and is a

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

recipient. He was included in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''s 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", ranking at No. 65, as well as its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", at No. 10. Green is a canonical Memphis soul artist. He collaborated closely with many of Memphis's most notable R&B musicians; a long and prolific partnership with producer/arranger Willie Mitchell and the Hi Rhythm Section yielded Green's greatest commercial success.

Early life

Albert Leornes Greene was born on April 13, 1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas, as the sixth of ten children born to Cora Lee and

sharecropper Sharecropping is a legal arrangement in which a landowner allows a tenant (sharecropper) to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping is not to be conflated with tenant farming, providing the tenant a ...

Robert G. Greene Jr. At around the age of ten, Al began performing with his sister in a group called the Greene Brothers. During the late 1950s, the Greene family relocated to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. While still a teenager, Al was kicked out of the family home after his devoutly religious father caught him listening to Jackie Wilson. He then lived with a

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

, began hustling, and indulged in

recreational drug Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an Sub ...

" listened to
Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel music, gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was ...
, all the great gospel singers. But the most important music to me was those hip-shakin' boys:
Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...
and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
. When I was 13, I just loved Elvis Presley. Whatever he got, I went out and bought."

In high school, Al formed a vocal group called Al Greene & the Creations. Two of the group's members, Curtis Rodgers and Palmer James, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. In 1966, having changed their name to Al Greene & the Soul Mates, they recorded the song "Back Up Train", releasing it on Hot Line Music. The song was a hit on the R&B charts and peaked at No. 46 in the ''Cashbox'' Top 100. However, the group's subsequent follow-ups failed to chart, as did their debut album '' Back Up Train''. While performing with the Soul Mates, Green came into contact with Memphis record producer Willie Mitchell, who hired him in 1969 to be a vocalist for a Texas show with Mitchell's band. Following the performance, Mitchell asked Green to sign with his Hi Records label.

Career

Early success

Having noted that Green had been trying to sing like Jackie Wilson,

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

, and

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

, Mitchell became his vocal mentor, coaching him into finding his own voice. Before releasing his first album with Hi Records, Green removed the final "e" from his name. Subsequently, he released '' Green Is Blues'' (1969), which was a moderate success. His follow-up album, '' Al Green Gets Next to You'' (1971), featured the hit R&B cover of

the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

' "

I Can't Get Next to You "I Can't Get Next to You" is a 1969 Single (music), single recorded by the Temptations and written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Top Pop ...

", recorded in a slow

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

-oriented style. The album also featured his first significant hit, " Tired of Being Alone", which sold a million copies and was certified gold, becoming the first of eight gold singles Green would release between 1971 and 1974. Al Green 1973

Green's next album, '' Let's Stay Together'' (January 1972), solidified his place in soul music. The

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...

was his biggest hit to date, reaching number one on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B charts. The album became his first to be certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

. His follow-up, '' I'm Still in Love with You'' (October 1972), went platinum with the help of the singles " Look What You Done for Me" and the

, both of which went to the top 10 on the Hot 100. His next album, '' Call Me'' (April 1973), produced three top-10 singles: "

You Ought to Be with Me "You Ought to Be with Me" is a song by Al Green. Released from his album, '' Call Me'', the single spent a week at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was also successful on the pop chart, peaking at number three on the ''Billboard'' ...

", "

Call Me (Come Back Home) "Call Me (Come Back Home)" (known as simply "Call Me") is a song by Al Green, released in 1973 as a single from his album '' Call Me''. It peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the R&B singles chart. It was certified ...

", and "

Here I Am (Come and Take Me) "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" is a 1973 song by Al Green, the second single released from his album '' Call Me''. The song reached number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It was certified as a gold ...

". In addition to these hit singles, Green also had radio hits with songs such as " Love and Happiness", his cover of the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

' "

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is a song released by the Bee Gees on 28 May 1971, with B-side "Country Woman" (a Maurice Gibb composition). It was written by Barry Gibb, Barry and Robin Gibb and was the first single on the group's 1971 alb ...

", " Simply Beautiful", "What a Wonderful Thing Love Is", and " Take Me to the River" (later covered successfully by new wave band

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

and blues artist

Syl Johnson Sylvester Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson; July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American blues and soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes" (1967), " Is It Because I' ...

). Green's album '' Livin' for You'' (December 1973) was certified gold. He continued to record successful R&B hits in the next several years, including " Livin' for You", "Sha-La-La (Makes Me Happy)" from his album '' Al Green Explores Your Mind,'' "Let's Get Married", " L-O-V-E (Love)" and " Full of Fire". By the time Green released '' The Belle Album'' in 1977, however, his record sales had plummeted, partially due to Green's own personal issues during this time and his desire to become a minister. His last Hi Records album, '' Truth n' Time'', was released in 1978 and failed to chart top 40.

Gospel recordings

Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics. In 1979, he injured himself falling off the stage while performing in Cincinnati and took this as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and

. From 1981 to 1989, Green recorded a series of gospel albums. While still under contract with Hi Records, Green released the 1980 album '' The Lord Will Make a Way'', his first of six albums on the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

label

Myrrh Records __NOTOC__ Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label. According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian m ...

. The title song from the album would later win Green his first of eight

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s in the Best Soul Gospel Performance category. In 1982, Green co-starred with

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

in the Broadway play " Your Arms Too Short to Box with God". In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, ''Gospel According to Al Green'', including interviews about his life and footage from his church. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell along with Angelo Earl for '' He Is the Light'', his first album for A&M Records. His 1987 follow-up, '' Soul Survivor'', featured the minor hit, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", which reached No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart, his first top-40 R&B hit since "I Feel Good" in 1978.

Return to secular music

"Let's Stay Together" was later covered by Tina Turner, her second collaboration with the British Heaven 17 and British Electric Foundation production team after "Ball of Confusion" in 1982, and served as her comeback single in late 1983. Unlike Al Green's version, Turner sings verse 2 first, then verse 1 when the band starts playing. Green returned to secular music in 1988 recording " Put a Little Love in Your Heart" with

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...

. Featured on the soundtrack to the movie ''

Scrooged ''Scrooged'' is a 1988 American Christmas fantasy black comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue. Based on the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dickens, ''Scrooged'' is a modern re ...

'', the song became Green's first top-10 pop hit since 1974. Green had a hit in 1989 with "The Message is Love" with producer Arthur Baker. Two years later, he recorded the theme song to the short-lived show '' Good Sports''. In 1993, he signed with

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

and with Baker again as producer, released the album, ''Don't Look Back''. Green received his ninth Grammy award for his collaboration with

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American country singer and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded 14 albums and released 25 singles to dat ...

for their duet of " Funny How Time Slips Away". Green's 1995 album, ''

Your Heart's In Good Hands ''Your Heart's in Good Hands'' is United States, American singer Al Green's 26th studio album, his first after a several-year hiatus from secular music, released by MCA Records in 1995. Described as "a solid project that approaches the Rev. Green ...

'', was released around the time that Green was inducted to the

. The one single released from the album, " Keep On Pushing Love", was described as "invoking the original, sparse sound of his reen'searly classics". In 2000, Green released his autobiography, ''Take Me to the River''. Two years later, he earned the

and recorded a hit R&B duet with Ann Nesby on the song, "Put It On Paper". Green again reunited with Willie Mitchell in 2003 for the album, '' I Can't Stop''. A year later, Green re-recorded his previous song, "Simply Beautiful", with

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

on the latter's album, '' The Dana Owens Album''. In 2005, Green and Mitchell collaborated on '' Everything's OK''. Green's 2008 album, '' Lay It Down'', was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and James Poyser. It became Green's first album to reach the top 10 since the early 1970s. The album features a minor R&B hit with the ballad, "Stay with Me (By the Sea)", featuring

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

, and also includes duets with Anthony Hamilton and

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; née Bailey; born 26 February 1979) is a British singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an a ...

. During an interview for promotion of the album, Green admitted that he would have liked to duet with

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

: "In those days, people didn't sing together like they do now." In 2009, Green recorded "

People Get Ready "People Get Ready" is a 1965 single by the Impressions, and the title track from the '' People Get Ready'' album. The single is the group's best-known hit, reaching number three on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 14 on the ''Billboard'' ...

" with

Heather Headley Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Trinidadian-born American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the title role of '' Aida''. She also won the 2010 Grammy A ...

on the album '' Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration''. In 2010, Green performed "Let's Stay Together" on '' Later... with Jools Holland''. On September 13, 2018, Al Green released his first new recording in almost over ten years, "

Before the Next Teardrop Falls ''Before The Next Teardrop Falls'' is the debut studio album by Tejano music, Tejano singer Freddy Fender. Released in 1974, the album includes the number-one hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights". It peaked ...

", most famously recorded by Freddy Fender in 1975. It was produced by Matt Ross-Spang and is part of Amazon Music's new "Produced By" series.

Personal life

On October 18, 1974, Green's girlfriend, Mary Woodson, assaulted him and then died by suicide at his Memphis home. Although unbeknownst to Green she was already married with three children, Woodson became upset when Green refused to marry her. She doused him with a pot of boiling

grits Grits (stylized as GRITS) is an American Christian hip hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In the Spirit". GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter ...

as he was preparing for bed in the bathroom, causing second-degree burns on his back, stomach, and arms which required

skin graft Skin grafting, a type of graft (surgery), graft surgery, involves the organ transplant, transplantation of skin without a defined circulation. The transplanted biological tissue, tissue is called a skin graft. Surgeons may use skin grafting to ...

s. Shortly after, Woodson fatally shot herself with his .38 handgun. Police found an apparent

suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...

inside Woodson's purse that declared her intentions and her reasons. A few days prior, Green had sent Woodson to convalesce at the home of his friend after she had taken a handful of sleeping pills and slit her wrists. Green cited this incident as a wake-up call to change his life. Days after Green was released from Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis, where he was treated for his burns, he was reportedly held hostage at gunpoint by his cousin, who claimed he owed her money. Green refused to press charges. In 1976, Green established the Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Memphis. Green resides in Millington, and preaches near Memphis. He is a member of the Prince Hall Masons, the African-American wing of Freemasonry, at the Thirty-Third Degree. In September 2013, Green's sister Maxine Green was reported missing from her assisted living home in

. According to her daughter Lasha, Green has not reached out to the family about his sister. As of March 2023, she is still missing.

Marriages and children

On June 15, 1977, Green married his first wife Shirley Green (née Kyles) in Memphis. Originally from Chicago, she was one of his

backing vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

s and an employee at his church. Together they have three daughters. Shirley first filed for divorce in 1978 on the ground of cruelty and irreconcilable differences. She filed again in 1981, charging that Green had subjected her to

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

throughout their marriage. Green accused her of cruel and inhuman treatment in a countercomplaint. In a sworn deposition in 1982 as part of her divorce filing, Shirley testified that in 1978 while she was five months pregnant, Green beat her with a boot for refusing to have sex. She claimed that the assault resulted in head wounds, one of which required stitches. After the incident she filed for divorce, but they reconciled. According to Shirley, they separated several times when the beatings became "too frequent and too severe". Initially, Green denied beating his wife, but under oath in 1982 he admitted to striking her. Their divorce was finalized in February 1983. Green agreed to pay her $432,800 in

alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide ...

and

child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (state or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is ...

. In 1995, the story of

Nicole Brown Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the second wife of American professional football player, actor, and media personality O. J. Simpson. She was murdered outside her Brentwood home, along with her friend Ro ...

inspired Shirley to go public with the abuse she endured in order to help other victims. Green has seven children: sons Chris Burse Sr., Al Green Jr., and Trevor and daughters Alva Lei Green, Rubi Renee Green, Kora Kishé Green, and Kala. Alva, Rubi, and Kora were born to Green and his ex-wife Shirley. Green was reportedly remarried by the 1990s.

Assault charges

Green's former secretary, Linda Wills, filed a $25,000 civil suit against him in 1974. Wills alleged that Green beat her and shoved her through a glass door in his Memphis office after a dispute about how much back pay she was entitled to for her duties. The civil suit was dropped because of "conflicting testimony", but in 1975, they settled a $100,000 lawsuit for

assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...

and battery charges. In 1977, Green and his former organ player Larry Robinson were arrested for assault on

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an Inner suburb, inner city suburb of Dallas. Irving is noted for its #Demographics, racial and ethnic diver ...

. According to Robinson, Green and his bodyguards jumped him when he confronted Green about owed money from previous gigs. They both posted bond on a

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...

charge. In 1978, Green was charged with assault and battery for allegedly beating a woman unconscious with a tree limb. The charges were dismissed after the woman, who had moved, did not receive a

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

and therefore missed the court date.

Discography

Awards and honors

Green has been nominated for 21

s, winning 11, including the

. Two of his songs, " Let's Stay Together" and " Take Me To the River" have been inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

. Green was inducted into the

in 1995. In 2004, he was inducted into the

Gospel Music Association The Gospel Music Association (GMA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of gospel music. As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide. The GMA's membership c ...

Gospel Music Hall of Fame The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a hall of fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music. Inductees This is an incompl ...

. That same year, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame. Also in 2004, ''

'' magazine ranked him No. 65 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009

BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...

on June 24, 2009. On August 26, 2004, Green was honored as a BMI Icon at the annual BMI Urban Awards. He joined a list of previous Icon honorees that included R&B legends

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

and

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

. Green was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2009. He was recognized on December 7, 2014, as a

recipient.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Al 1946 births Living people 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century Protestants 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century Protestants A&M Records artists African-American Christians American Freemasons African-American guitarists African-American male songwriters American gospel singers American male guitarists American male pop singers American Pentecostal pastors American Prince Hall Freemasons American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul guitarists American soul singers American tenors Bell Records artists Blue Note Records artists Fat Possum Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Guitarists from Arkansas Guitarists from Michigan Guitarists from Tennessee Hi Records artists Kennedy Center honorees MCA Records artists Musicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan Singers from Memphis, Tennessee Myrrh Records artists People charged with assault People charged with battery Progressive soul musicians RCA Records artists Singer-songwriters from Arkansas Singer-songwriters from Michigan Singer-songwriters from Tennessee