Name a group besides the Legendary Soul Stirrers that has lasted more than seven decades in the music business. Not so easy, is it? Beginning in the 1930s, Chicago’s Soul Stirrers helped redefine the gospel-quartet sound, with innovative arrangements and dramatic, shifting vocals. A number of its lead singers went on to solo careers, most notably Johnnie Taylor and the great Sam Cooke; meanwhile, Willie Rogers has filled the lead role since the ’60s. The group saw no reason to start resting on its laurels back in ’89, when it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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