Trivia

On 19 October, 2005, while listening to an Akron, Ohio radio morning program ("Matt Patrick and Angela In the Morning" on WKDD), Lou and Nina Rawls heard about a local woman who was about to lose her home after coping with medical bills for her special needs son left her in arrears on her mortgage. The couple immediately telephoned the radio station to donate whatever amount of money it took to bring the woman's mortgage to "Current" status.

Went to high school with Sam Cooke.

His performance of "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", during the 1977 Grammy Awards was disrupted by a coughing fit. He gamely kept performing and managed to finish the song.

Has a four-octave range.

Praised by Frank Sinatra for having "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game".

In November 1958, he and singer Sam Cooke were in an automobile accident in Arkansas, USA. They were injured and their chauffeur was killed.

He and his wife and manager Nina, who was 37 years younger than Lou, had a baby boy, Aiden Allen Rawls, in Akron, Ohio, on January 10, 2005. The baby weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Nina and Lou used in vitro fertilization and another woman as the birth mother.

Early in his career backed up Sam Cooke, on Sam's signature hit "Bring It On Home To Me".

A paratrooper in the Army's 101st Airborne Division (1955 - 1958)

He's best known for his #1 hit song, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine".

His career was comprised of more than 70 albums, three Grammys, 13 Grammy nominations, one platinum album, five gold albums and a gold single.

His telethon, which served as a fundraiser for the United Negro College and other black colleges, has raised more than $200 million since 1979. More than 10,000 scholarships have been provided.

Some sources list 1935 as Lou's birth year but a domestic violence case revealed his birth date to be December 1, 1933.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6931 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Despite having absolutely nothing to do with the film itself, he appeared on the DVD commentary track for the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).

Father of Lou Rawls Jr., Louanna Rawls, and Kendra Rawls.

Was friends with Aretha Franklin, Bill Cosby, and Della Reese.

Ex-companion Margaret Schaffer filed a lawsuit against Rawls for $12 million, claiming he backed out of a verbal agreement to support her financially even if they broke up. (27 March 2003)

Graduate of Dunbar High School in Chicago.

Was awarded an honorary doctorate at Florida Memorial College in Miami, Sept 21, 2002

His first acting credit was in the Western television series The Big Valley (starring Barbara Stanwyck, along with Lee Majors and Linda Evans).

Released from Bernalillo County Jail (Albuquerque, New Mexico) after being arrested on one count of battery against his companion, Nina Inman. (16 January 2003)

He was raised by his grandmother in the Ida B. Wells projects on Chicago's South Side.

He began singing in the Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church choir at the age of seven and later sang with local groups through which he met Sam Cooke, who was nearly three years older, and Curtis Mayfield.

In December 2005, it was announced that Rawls was being treated for lung cancer that metastasized to his brain. Lou Rawls's final television performance occurred during the 2005-2006 edition of the telethon, honoring Stevie Wonder in September 2005, months before entering the hospital.

"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" became his biggest selling single, selling a million copies, topping the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, and reaching No. 2 on the pop chart. The hit single "Lady Love" followed, from the 1977 album When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All.

Guion Bluford, the first black astronaut, brought the Lou Rawls album When the Night Comes (Epic, 1983) into space with him. It contained the song "Wind Beneath My Wings".

In 1982, Rawls received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On January 19, 1985, he sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" at the nationally televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

Cousin of Wanda Mitchell.

In 1969, Rawls was co-host of NBC's summer replacement series for the Dean Martin Show with Martin's daughter, singer Gail Martin.

After leaving Capitol in 1971, he signed with MGM and released the single "Natural Man" written for him by comedian Sandy Baron and singer Bobby Hebb.

Rawls won the AMA for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist in 1979, tied with singer Teddy Pendergrass.

In 1989, he performed vocals for "The Music and Heroes of America" segment in the animated television miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown.

In 2021, Rawls was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame inductees.

On the night of September 29, 1977, Rawls performed the national anthem of the United States before the Earnie Shavers-Muhammad Ali title fight at Madison Square Garden. He was invited to sing the anthem many times over the next 28 years. His final performance was in his hometown of Chicago when he was asked to sing the national anthem before the second game of the 2005 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros at U.S. Cellular Field.

Rawls lent his rich baritone to cartoons, including Hey Arnold!, Garfield, Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The Proud Family. For many of the Film Roman Garfield specials, Rawls would often compose songs, which he would then sing usually doing a duet with Desiree Goyette, as well as the singing voice of the title character himself.

In 2009, Pathway Entertainment announced its intention to produce a biopic about Rawls's life, tentatively titled Love Is a Hurtin' Thing: The Lou Rawls Story, with Rawls' son, Lou Rawls Jr., writing the screenplay and Isaiah Washington reportedly playing Rawls.

In January 2004, Rawls was honored by the United Negro College Fund for his more than 25 years of charity work with the organization. Instead of hosting and performing as he usually did, Rawls was given the seat of honor and celebrated by his performing colleagues, including Stevie Wonder, The O'Jays, Gerald Levert, and Ashanti.

Has four grandchildren.