Curtis Mayfield Recorded His Last Album Lying on the Floor. One Line at a Time.

Sam Cooke Failed at the Copa in 1958. A Waiter Forgot His Tray in 1964.

Isaac Hayes Walked Into the Oscars Wearing Chains, and a Room Went Quiet

Al Green Walked Into a Closing Diner at Midnight. The Jukebox Was Already Playing His Song.

Ray Charles Refused to Play Augusta in 1961. Georgia Needed 18 Years to Answer.

Otis Redding Sang to 7,000 Strangers at Monterey in 1967. One Woman Let Go of Her Rope.

Stevie Wonder Wouldn't Stop Playing in 1962. A Voice Asked a Question Nobody Could Answer.

James Brown Paid for His Own Apollo Recording in 1962. His Label Called It a Mistake.

Smokey Robinson Fell Ill Before a Session That Could Not Wait. A Stranger Stayed All Night.

Donny Hathaway Turned a Hospital Note Into 'Someday We'll All Be Free.'

Teddy Pendergrass Crashed His Rolls-Royce in 1982. Three Years Later He Sang for 90,000.

The Four Tops Turned Down a Song in 1969. It Reached the World a Different Way.

Curtis Mayfield Raised His Hand to a Brooklyn Crowd in 1990. Then the Sky Came Down.

Bill Withers Closed His Briefcase at Columbia in 1985. He Never Made Another Album.

Smokey Robinson Gave a Terrified Teenager His Own Verse. She Never Told Anyone Why.

James Brown Held Up One Hand at Boston Garden. It Kept a City From Burning.

Percy Sledge Kept a Promise to a Dying Woman. His Own Body Was Failing Him.

Georgia Dobbins WROTE Motown's First Number One — She Never Got to Sing a Note of It

Otis Redding FOUND a Grieving Janitor at His Door at 2 A.M. — He Never Repeated What Was Said.

Solomon Burke Was CROWNED Backstage at the Apollo in 1964. He Never Took It Off Again.

William Bell Was DRAFTED to War in 1966. He Came Home to a Label That Almost Didn't Exist.

Eddie Floyd WROTE a No. 1 Hit for Otis Redding — Stax Told Him to Sing It Himself Instead

Wilson Pickett STOPPED a Broke Teenager From Walking Home — Then Made Him Swear Never to Tell

Eugene Record STOPPED SINGING Mid-Take — What Happened Next Made Chart History

Sly Stone Recorded His #1 Hit ALONE — What His Band Did When They Found Out Stunned a Room

Fontella Bass HUMMED the Hook Behind 'Rescue Me' — It Took Her 28 Years to Get the Credit

Ray Charles TURNED a Gospel Hymn Into a Love Song — His Childhood Church Called It a Sin

Pops Staples TURNED OFF the TV in 1957 — What He Wrote Next Became Dr. King's Favorite Song

Mary Wells WALKED OUT on Motown in 1965 — Dying of Cancer in 1990, They Called Her Back

Levi Stubbs TURNED DOWN Motown's Biggest Solo Deal Ever — Then He Made a Fist

Eddie Levert Was READY TO QUIT in 1971 — One Knock on a Motel Door Changed Everything

Wilson Pickett COULD BARELY WALK Onstage in 2004 — What He Did Next Left a Crowd Screaming

A Crowd of 200 REFUSED TO SIT DOWN in 1959 — The Isley Brothers Answered With 'Shout.'

The Temptations FIRED David Ruffin. Four Months Later, One Hand Pulled Him Back Onstage.

Sam & Dave SOUNDED Like Brothers Onstage — Backstage They Hadn't Spoken in 13 Years

The Drifters FIRED Ben E. King in 1960 -- Five Months Later, He Recorded 'Stand By Me'

Isaac Hayes REFUSED to Cut His Song Short in 1969 — It Saved a Dying Record Label

Gladys Knight's Song Was ONE MINUTE SHORT in 1973 — Four Tired Voices INVENTED the Rest

Only Eleven People Watched Al Green Preach in 1976 — Then He SANG Under Their Voices

Florence Ballard's Gown Wouldn't Zip in 1967 — Then the Supremes ERASED Her From the Stage

Wilson Pickett STOMPED a Dance Step in a Motel Room — It Became 'Midnight Hour'

Jackie Wilson Sang 'My Heart Is Crying' — Then COLLAPSED as the Whole Room Clapped

Doctors Said Stevie Wonder Might Never Wake in 1973 — Then a Friend SANG Into His Ear

Sam Cooke Gave the Show of His Life in 1963 — His Label BURIED the Tape for 22 Years

He Installed Airplane Toilets by Day — Then America Heard His Voice

Donny Hathaway Stopped Singing in 1971. The Whole Room Refused to Let the Song End.

Smokey Robinson Was at Number One in 1972. Then He Quietly Walked Away.

Curtis Mayfield Tuned His Guitar Wrong on Purpose. No One Could Copy the Sound

Teddy Pendergrass Was Only the Drummer. Then He Sang One Night and Lost the Group

Paul Williams Danced in Perfect Time. The Voice the Crowd Heard Wasn't His.

Percy Sledge Recorded 'When a Man Loves a Woman' — Then Gave the Whole Song Away

Curtis Mayfield Wrote the Song. Jerry Butler Sang It. Then the Teenager Walked Away.

Some Stations Quietly Refused to Play This Curtis Mayfield Song. It Was Too Proud.

Sam Cooke Wrote the Most Important Song of His Life. Then He Was Afraid to Sing It.

Berry Gordy Wrote Jackie Wilson's Biggest Hit. The Small Check He Got Built Motown.

Donny Hathaway's Voice Was Perfect. His Mind Was at War. Roberta Flack Never Stopped Waiting.

The Whistle Otis Redding Left In By Mistake Became His Only Number One

Bill Withers Kept His Factory Job After 'Ain't No Sunshine' Went Gold. Then He Walked Away From

Move On Up Sounds Like Pure Joy. Curtis Mayfield Hid Something Else Inside It.

Otis Redding Whistled the Ending Because the Words Weren't Written. Three Days Later He Was Gone.