Even if commercial considerations didn't exist, Lou Rawls says he could never limit himself to just one style of music. Then you lose a lot of people.
Versatility is the key.
That versatility will be on display Saturday at the Milwaukee Auditorium when Rawls appears in concert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Rawls attributes his ability to navigate so many musical genres to his roots in Chicago's gospel scene, where he grew up singing with guys like Sam Cooke, Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. At 65, Rawls makes no pretense of trying to keep current with contemporary pop. The old thing. Music from the '60s and '70s.