Country-soul pioneer, Arthur Alexander, remains largely unknown to the general listening audience; however, his body of work is on par with the best of his contemporaries.

Born May 10, 1940, in either Florence, Alabama, or Sheffield, Alabama, depending on which reviewer you read, Alexander was the son of a blues guitarist from whom he gained a love for music at an early age. He was in the sixth grade when he joined a gospel group calling themselves the Heartstrings.

After high school, he worked as a hotel bellhop, during which time he became friends with many R&B insiders, including Tom Stafford, who was a fledgling lyricists. In 1958, Alexander sold his first song, "She Wanna Rock," to Decca Records and country singer Arnie Derksen.