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Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993), born in Sheffield, Alabama, was perhaps one of the biggest stars to arise out of the American country-soul scene. Jason Ankeny, music critic for All Music Guide, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries."^[1]

Working with Spar Music in Florence, Alabama, Alexander recorded his first single; "Sally Sue Brown" which was released in 1960 on Jud Phillips' Judd Records. (Phillips is the brother of music pioneer Sam Phillips.) A year later, Alexander cut "You Better Move On" at a former Tobacco Warehouse-turned-Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals. Released on Nashville's Dot Records, the song became a Soul/R&B Hit, and laid the foundation for the modern recording studio FAME. "You Better Move On" is perhaps Arthur's best-known song, covered by the Rolling Stones. "Anna (Go to Him)", a US R&B Top Ten Hit, was covered by The Beatles), as was "Soldier of Love", which was also performed by Marshall Crenshaw and Pearl Jam. "Set Me Free" (covered by Esther Phillips and Joe Tex) were also major hits and established Alexander as a pioneering arranger of others' tunes, as well as an established songwriter in his own right. He switched to another label, Sound Stage 7 founded by Fred Foster, and although a 1972 album for Warner Brothers was promising, the singer's potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with "Every Day I Have To Cry" on Buddah Records (1975), but the success remained shortlived. For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his small but important catalogue. His last album "Lonely Just Like Me" was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered the cruelest fate when he collapsed and died of a heart attack the following month, three days after performing in Nashville with his new band.

Alexander deserves a special mention in pop and rock history for his particular influence, as indicated, on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It is believed that John Lennon, in particular, was heavily influenced in Alexander's singing style. The above-mentioned tracks such as 'Anna', 'You Better Move On' and 'Soldier of Love', in particular, but maybe also 'Go Home Girl' might confirm this artist's influence on the Beatles and his influence, if the listener needs further convincing after hearing 'You Better Move On', on the Rolling Stones. As further evidence of his influence, 'Go Home Girl' was also recorded by the eclectic master Ry Cooder on his groundbreaking 1979 album 'Bop Till You Drop'.

1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. Arthur Alexander Biography. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.

• Arthur Alexander Yahoo! Group mailing list - A place to discuss Arthur Alexander's life and music.