Booker T. Jones

It can be argued that it was Booker T. Jones who set the cast for modern soul music and is largely responsible for its rise and enduring popularity. On classic Stax hits like “Green Onions,” “Hang ‘Em High,” “Time Is Tight,” and “Melting Pot” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and winner of four GRAMMY Awards pushed the music’s boundaries, refined it to its essence and then injected it into the nation’s bloodstream. Outside of the band, Jones made the charts as a solo artist also lent his trademark keyboards to many artists ranging in genre from Ray Charles to Neil Young.