Southern Soul

Origins and context

Documented histories from Stax Records place Southern soul in the Memphis-centered recording culture of the 1960s, drawing on gospel, blues, and R&B traditions in the Southern United States.

History

Southern Soul took shape in the 1960s around Southern recording centers such as Memphis, especially Stax Records, whose house-band sound helped define the style’s punchy, human scale. Stax’s own history describes the label as a major force in soul and R&B, and highlights artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, and Booker T. & the M.G.’s as central to that legacy. The genre’s story is tied to the Southern Black church, regional R&B, and the emotional directness of singers like Otis Redding, whose Stax biography emphasizes his gospel-rooted start and early recording breakthrough in Memphis with "These Arms of Mine." That blend of church feeling, secular desire, and studio craft is what gave Southern Soul its enduring pull.

Notable artists

Essential listening

1. 1

   These Arms of Mine

   Otis Redding

   Spotify
2. 2

   Hold On, I’m Comin’

   Sam & Dave

   Spotify
3. 3

   Knock On Wood

   Eddie Floyd

   Spotify
4. 4

   Otis Redding

   Spotify

Explore connected genres

Parent genresSoul

Parent genresRhythm and Blues

Parent genresGospel

Parent genresBlues

Referenced bySoul Blues

Referenced byAmericana

Sources and further reading

• Stax Records History
• Booker T. & The M.G.'s – Stax Records artist page
• Otis Redding – Stax Records artist page
• staxrecords.com

  Otis Redding's early success and emotive style are highlighted in Stax's spotlight biography.

• Spotify

  Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I’m Comin’" has an official Spotify track page.

• Spotify

  Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood" has an official Spotify track page.