Soul music open in acknowledging the influence of Pilgrim Travelers vocalist Jesse Whitaker on his singing style. Little Richard, who inspired Otis Redding, and James Brown both were equally influential. Brown was nicknamed the "Godfather of Soul Music", and Richard proclaimed himself as the "King of Rockin' and Rollin', Rhythm and Blues Soulin'", because his music embodied elements of all three, and since he inspired artists in all three genres. Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also are often acknowledged as soul forefathers. Cooke became popular as the lead singer of the gospel group The Soul Stirrers, before controversially moving into secular music.
Soul to Soul (film) set aside for the local musicians. The concert was filmed and the "Soul to Soul" film released in August 1971. It featured extensive excerpts from the concert performances, along with documentary footage of the musicians interacting with local Ghanaians in the days before the show. The film played in limited release around the world for the next two years but was not a financial success and did not cover the costs of putting on the show. The film was eventually restored thanks to a program by the Grammy Foundation that seeks to preserve important films about music, and it debuted