Origins of Soul Music Archive

The origins of this archive can be traced back in time to the work of soul DJ and writer Rob Jones. Born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, Rob developed a lifelong passion for soul music as a youngster. Starting as a DJ and MC in the club circuit while still in his teens, he went on to become a professional road DJ, eventually leading to broadcasting. Over the years he built a reputation as a knowledgeable collector and presenter with a particular interest in the artists who were often overlooked by the mainstream music press.

Following the closure of Emperor Rosko's Los Angeles-based radio station Rosko Radio in 2006 where Rob had worked as station manager and presenter, and encouraged by Rosko - one of radio's most celebrated broadcasters and a champion of soul music - Rob went on to create his own project, 'The Soul Guy'. The aim was to create a non-profit project devoted to soul music and the artists behind the music. The Soul Guy quickly developed into a substantial online resource featuring artist biographies, historical articles and original interviews which gave singer-songwriters the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words.

To complement the website, Rob set up Soul Guy Radio, a free on-demand internet radio station dedicated to rare and classic soul, and was joined by a team of presenters who were involved in the soul music genre. The station attracted audiences all over the world and provided a platform for both legendary performers and lesser-known artists. With Rosko's permission to reference his trademarked L.A. Connection shows, Rob launched his own show, The Soul Connection. The broadcasts combined music and specialist information, reflecting Rob's belief that understanding the people behind the records was important, thereby bringing the public's attention to the singer-songwriters featured in the shows, especially those who had been badly mistreated or cast aside by the music industry. Many of the artists had received little recognition despite making important contributions to the development of soul music.

When The Soul Guy project closed in May 2010, much of the original content and archive of radio programmes disappeared from public view, raising the possibility that years of research, interviews and writing could be lost, although many of the articles and interviews had been reproduced in various music magazines and some material appeared in several Wikipedia pages. Those Wiki articles evolved as further information was added by other writers over the years. This website contains articles from the Soul Guy project upon its closure, therefore the information is of that time with no further updates (however, where necessary, a few footnotes have recently been added).

Soul Music Archive was established to ensure that these valuable interviews and articles were not entirely lost, and in the tradition of the original project, this website has not been monetised.