Soul blues is a blues style developed during the late 1960s and early 1970s, whose popularity grew during the 1980s; is characterized by combining elements of soul music with contemporary urban music. Some singers and musicians who grew up listening to traditional electric blues (such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Elmore James), soul singers (such as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and Otis Redding) and gospel music performers wanted to create a style that would bring the music together they listened. One of the pioneers of this style was Bobby Bland and B. B. King, with the song "The Thrill Is Gone." The younger female voice that had the prestige to interpret this style, was the one of Amy Winehouse.
Other musicians of this style include ZZ Hill, Otis Clay, Latimore, Little Milton, Johnny Adams, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, Bobby Rush and Johnnie Taylor. Soul blues is a very popular musical style among the African American population, being less known among the white population.
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