About Al Green

Full name: Albert Greene.
Born: April 13, 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas. Raised in Arkansas and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Al Green was born in Forrest City, Arkansas, the sixth of 10 children by Cora and Robert Greene. As a child, he and some of his siblings formed a group called The Greene Brothers in the mid-1950s. Later, after the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Al helped form a band in high school. After performing together for a few years, the group released a single called "Back Up Train" in 1967 under the name Al Greene & the Soul Mates on a small independent label when Al was in his early 20s. The single eventually led to a full album the same year, but it was credited to just Al Greene, who at the time hadn't dropped the last 'e' from his surname.

Although his first album wasn't particularly successful, Al continued to pursue his dream of being a music star. It was when his third album, Al Green Gets Next to You, was released in 1971 that he became a household name in the music world. The album generated his first widely successful single, "Tired of Being Alone," which he himself wrote. This began a chain a hit songs for Al, including the singles "Let's Stay Together," "I'm Still in Love With You" and "You Ought to Be With Me," all of which reached No. 1 on the R&B charts during the early-to-mid 1970s.

Al's personal and professional lives were significantly altered on Oct. 18, 1974 when a woman he had been dating, Mary White, threw a hot pan of grits on him while he was showering. White, who was reportedly upset that Al wouldn't marry her even though she was already married to another man, committed suicide with his handgun after the assault. Al, who suffered severe burns across his upper torso from the grits, took the incident as a sign from God to change his life. After recovering, he became an ordained minister, and eventually gave up secular music to become a Gospel artist. He continued on this path through most of the 1980s.

After recording a few non-Gospel tunes occasionally in the late 1980s and early '90s, Al made a full-fledged return to R&B and Soul music in 1995 with the album Your Heart's in Good Hands. It wasn't a commercial success, however, and Al didn't record another album until 2003's I Can't Stop. His big comeback album as an R&B/Soul singer came with the release of his Lay It Down album in 2008. The album, which was produced by members of hip-hop band The Roots, featured Al dueting with such contemporary artists as John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton. It reached the top 10 on the pop charts and won multiple Grammys.

2009: Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, with John Legend, for "Stay With Me (By the Sea)."
2009: Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, with Anthony Hamilton, for "You've Got the Love I Need."
2004: Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
2002: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
1999: Inducted into the Grammy Awards Hall of Fame
1990: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance, for "As Long as We're Together."
1988: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Male, for "Everything's Gonna Be Alright."
1987: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Male, for "Going Away."
1986: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance, for the album He is the Light.
1984: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Male, for "I'll Rise Again."
1983: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Traditional, for Precious Lord.
1983: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Contemporary, for Higher Plane.
1982: Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance - Traditional, for The Lord Will Make a Way.

2008: Lay It Down
2005: Everything's OK
2003: I Can't Stop
1978: Truth n' Time
1977: The Belle Album
1976: Have a Good Time
1976: Full of Fire
1975: Al Green is Love
1974: Al Green Explores Your Mind
1973: Livin' for You
1973: Call Me
1972: I'm Still in Love With You
1972: Let's Stay Together
1971: Al Green Gets Next to You
1969: Green is Blues
1967: Back Up Train