Friday, March 14, 2003 | 9:17 a.m.
Similar to many R&B and blues singers, Lou Rawls' musical inspiration began in a church choir.
Among the many others who came up through the church ranks were Sam Cooke, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin and Patti La Belle.
"It's easy to do," the 67-year-old blues legend explained during a recent telephone interview from Akron, Ohio, where he was visiting friends. "The melodies and musical changes in blues are basically gospel. The only thing different is the words.
"Instead of singing, 'Oh, Jesus, take me by the hand,' you sing, 'Oh, baby, take me by the hand.'"
Fans will be able to hear the inimitable Rawls, along with co-star Nancy Wilson, tonight and Saturday at Paris Las Vegas, which seems to have become a favorite venue for the man whose silky smooth voice has delighted listeners for almost 50 years.
Rawls never tires of the Entertainment Capital of the World.
"Las Vegas is a place where you get a wide variety of people from around the world, a wider variety than you get in other cities," he said.
Which means Rawls only has to make one stop to entertain international fans, instead of traveling to entertain them in their own back yards.
Not that Rawls doesn't travel. He works about 200 concert dates a year, which is only slightly fewer than the number he did as a much younger man.
Rawls' tours touch all sizes of cities and venues. He says some of the smaller venues in smaller cities are more fulfilling than the larger ones.
"You find more responsive audiences in the smaller areas," Rawls said. "They don't get the bombardment of entertainers that you do in Vegas, where there is a constant turnover. When you work in smaller areas, it becomes something special. When you go there, the audiences are appreciative because they don't have the chance to see as many top performers."
And Rawls stands at the pinnacle.
During his stellar career he has recorded more than 60 albums and received 13 Grammy nominations (winning three). He has had one platinum album, five gold albums and a gold single.
Among his many hits are "Wind Beneath My Wings," "Natural Man," "Dead End Street" and "You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)."
When he isn't working, Rawls expends a lot of energy raising funds for the United Negro College Fund, a pet project he has been involved with for more than 25 years. In 1976 Rawls became a corporate spokesman for Anheuser Busch. With the support of the corporation, Rawls has been holding annual fund-raisers for the UNCF since 1980 and has raised more than $100 million to help subsidize the education of more than 54,000 students at 42 black colleges
"I had been doing the Jerry Lewis telethon every year," Rawls said, explaining how he decided to raise money for education. "Jerry was raising money for research.
"One day it hit me, 'Where do people who do research come from?' Knowing there are a lot of sharp minds out there that just need the opportunity to be fine- tuned so they can maybe come with a cure for MD, I talked to my sponsors and they got behind me."
College isn't the only level of education that concerns Rawls. He says he is appalled that states are trying to balance their budgets by cutting school programs, such as music, the arts and sports.
"Why?" he mused. "I'm still trying to figure that one out. If you cut these programs, what incentive is there for kids to go to school? And where are the Olympic gymnasts and the musicians and creators of music going to come from?
"One of the things America is known for around the world, and that is its contribution to music."
Although he has passed the traditional age of retirement, Rawls has no thoughts of quieting his voice.
"As long as they call me, I will try to do it," he said in his signature low tones that makes him instantly recognizable.
Rawls is about to go back into the studio and make another album. And he is gearing up to tour with the musical "Me & Mrs. Jones," which he produced and starred in a little over a year ago in Philadelphia.
Rawls says he was inspired to create "Me & Mrs. Jones" after appearing in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" on Broadway in 1999.
"Smokey Joe's Cafe" celebrates the music of Leiber and Stoller, similar to the runaway hit "Mamma Mia!" celebrates the music of ABBA.
With "Mamma, Mia!" being such a success in Las Vegas (at Mandalay Bay), on Broadway and on tour, Rawls is confident his production will succeed.
"We did it for three months in Philadelphia and sold out 75 performances," he said.
Plans are to take it on the road and then to Broadway. Eventually it could end of up Las Vegas.
"There are about 40 songs in our show, all gold and platinum records," Rawls said. "This will leave 'Mamma Mia!' in the dust."com
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