Luther Ingram, as reported by AP, died Monday of heart failure in Belleville, Ill., at age 69 after a long fight against various diseases and blindness. Ingram's biggest hit, 1972's "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right," remains one of the most gorgeous and haunting songs of the classic R&B; era. Like his contemporaries Bill Withers and Al Green, Ingram sang deep, full-blooded soul with a pop edge, helping to fill the void left by the death of Otis Redding. "Loving You" was his calling card, but his body of work includes everything from funky scorchers like "I'll Just Call You Honey" to trembling spirituals like "I'll Be Your Shelter." A moment of silence, please, for one of the greats.
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