Don Bryant’s career resurgence is not so much a case of second chances, but more a victory lap.
The 77-year-old soul music pioneer received one of many rapturous receptions as part of his comeback tour, which stopped over in Morocco for the Jazzablanca Festival on Friday. Bryant was accompanied by his tight backing band, the Bo-Keys, and a camera crew piecing together footage that will eventually become the documentary Your Own Land. "The man is a legend and deserves to be documented," says director Andrew Fleming, as he prepares to record The National's exclusive interview with Bryant.
Which brings us to the man himself. How does Bryant feel about all the newfound attention? "Man, I can tell you that it tastes even better the second time around," he says, with a glint in his eye. "I am enjoying myself a whole lot and going to new and some other interesting places that I have already been. The audiences have been really good. The way I see it is that if you have something to give them, they will always react to it."
Behind a legendary soul music sound
To say Bryant made a welcome return to the music world with 2017's superb album Don't Give Up on Love is an understatement. The release follows his debut album, Precious Soul, released back in 1969, and shows that age hasn't diminished his rich voice.
Critical acclaim aside, the power of the album lies in its ability to capture a sound described as Hi Rhythm – taken from the legendary in-house band of Memphis soul music label Hi Records – thought to have been permanently retired to the annals of soul music. The band Hi Rhythm's tight guitar and bass grooves and authoritative drumming, coupled by plaintive horn arrangements (also known as the Memphis Horns) provided a lush and winning sound that artists such as Al Green and Ann Peebles took to the top of the charts. Behind many of these tunes was Bryant, who started at Hi Records as an aspiring singer before settling into the role of songwriter, chiefly for Peebles, who he went on to marry.
While acknowledging that it has been a while, Bryant says the 48-year gap in between his two albums has been creatively fulfilling. "I was still working and writing tunes all the time. That is something you just don't turn off," he says. "A lot of it was gospel songs for me and some other singers. I did a couple of gospel albums as well. I still had that energy to create, but I just realised that the road I was on was more as the writer and not the singer."
It was Scott Bomar from Bryant's backing band, as well as album producer Bruce Watson, who convinced him to return to secular music. Their aim was to resurrect the Hi Rhythm, but as Bryant tells it, the idea of returning down memory lane wasn't particularly enticing at first. He was living in semi-retirement in Memphis and content with being one of the many under-appreciated footnotes in popular music history. "But then we discussed getting together and doing some shows with the band and just see what happens," he says. Those shows were played in 2016.
“And then we started talking about me recording an album and that was a good challenge for me, too,” he says. I work best when there is a deadline.”
It was an approach he refined during his time with Hi Records. Bryant joined the label in the late 1950s as a singer-songwriter for the band The Four Kings, which at the time scored the hits Tell it to Me Baby and Walking at Your Will.
However, with Hi Records eventually welcoming other young and hungry singers such Green and Peebles, the label's in-house music producer Will Mitchell made them his priority and Bryant settled into the role of songwriter.
While he managed to release his vibrant debut album Precious Soul, Bryant harbours no misgivings regarding the label's change of focus. "I never felt that way at all, because as far as I was concerned writing the songs was just as important as singing them," he says. "You had all these artists there relying on me. I was in the thick of it and I was just happy to be part of that studio environment."
With that era of popular music renowned for its "song-writing factories," Bryant – who wrote more than 150 songs for various artists such as late soul music legends Etta James and Solomon Burke – doesn't totally regard that period as a sweatshop.
“It was good and steady work, man,” he says. “Particularly since I was realising that I wasn’t going to be the singer. Instead, you had all these artists coming in and they wanted a few songs to finish their album or whatever and I was happy to do it.”
One of these young artists was the little-known Al Green. While he remains Hi Records's crowning achievement, Bryant recalls that he wasn't an immediate success. "He also needed some time to develop," he says. "But he had a spirit to him and that eventually moved people. But the biggest star at the time was Ann."
A successful relationship
He's referring to Peebles, to whom he has been married for 45 years. Bryant agrees that it was their professional and personal chemistry that resulted in him producing some of his best work. In addition to the minor 1971 hit 99 Pounds (lyrics include: "Good things come in small packages / you'll have to agree to that"), the duo struck gold with 1974's I Can't Stand The Rain. As well as cracking the Top 5 in the US charts, the song topped a slew of European charts four years later, thanks to the disco remake by British group Eruption. The song also went on to be re-recorded by the likes of Michael Bolton and Seal, as well as sampled by rappers Missy Elliott and Talib Kweli.
Bryant says Peebles remains his biggest inspiration. He admits to hearing her voice when penning many of the passionate tracks that pepper Don't Give Up on Love. The message of the album lies in its title, Bryant says. When it comes to all matters of the heart, from love itself to the creative process, he urges people to just keep going. "That is what I learnt. I never thought that I was going to be a big singer, but I always felt that I could have been. But so many great artists came through and they got bigger and bigger," he says.
“I always felt I did good things in my life and now it is a joy to go out and share it with the people. And it seems to me that it is really catching on.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Janeen%20Damian%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lindsay%20Lohan%2C%20Chord%20Overstreet%2C%20Jack%20Wagner%2C%20Aliana%20Lohan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
