Don't Give Up on Me (album)

Don't Give Up on Me
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 23, 2002
RecordedFebruary 25–28, 2002
GenreSoul blues, gospel blues, R&B
Length51:35
Label
ProducerJoe Henry
Solomon Burke chronology
Soulman
(2002)
Don't Give Up on Me
(2002)
The Incredible Solomon Burke at His Best
(2002)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Entertainment WeeklyA
The Guardian
Los Angeles Times
Mojo
Rolling Stone
The Village VoiceB−

Don't Give Up on Me is a studio album by American R&B/Soul singer Solomon Burke, recorded and released in 2002 on Fat Possum Records. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. It is noteworthy for the contributions of original and previously unreleased compositions by top-rank songwriters, the effect of which placed Burke back in the public eye for a time. Guest stars are Daniel Lanois, who plays electric guitar on "Stepchild", and The Blind Boys of Alabama, who feature on backing vocals for "None of Us Are Free". "None of Us Are Free" was also featured at the end of the sixth episode ("Spin") of the second season of House. "Fast Train" was featured during the ending montage of the season three finale of The Wire.

The title track, written by the team of Dan Penn and Carson Whitsett with Hoy Lindsey, gained popularity (and introduced Burke to a new generation) when it was used several times on the popular primetime teen soap opera The O.C. as one of the signature song of adult couple Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, played by Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan. It became a staple of Burke's live performances and has been covered by Joe Cocker, as well as Peter Gallagher, who also performed the song on The O.C.