David Soul grandfathers were evangelists. Dr. Solberg was also Senior Representative for Lutheran World Relief during the reconstruction of Germany after the Second World War from 1949 until 1956. Because of this, the family moved frequently during Soul's youth. Soul attended Augustana College, University of the Americas in Mexico City and the University of Minnesota. At 19, he turned down a professional baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox in order to study political science. While in Mexico, inspired by students who taught him to play the guitar, Soul changed his direction and decided to follow his passion for music. His first
Plastic soul "Blue-eyed soul", however, merely refers to soul music performed and/or written by white artists, particularly when that artist incorporates white-specific cultural elements into their music that are not typical of classic soul. Paul McCartney referenced the phrase as the name of the Beatles 1965 album "Rubber Soul", which was inspired by the term "plastic soul". In a studio conversation recorded in June 1965 after recording the first take of "I'm Down", McCartney says "Plastic soul, man. Plastic soul." David Bowie also described his own funky, soulful songs released in the early to mid-1970s as "plastic soul". These singles sold well,