Lou Rawls

Per Reuters story:

Silken-voiced crooner Lou Rawls, who started singing at age 7 in a gospel choir and grew into a beloved blues, jazz and R&B performer, died on Friday at age 72 after a battle with lung cancer, his spokesman said.

Rawls, a singer with a four-octave range known for such signature hits as "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," "Lady Love" and "Love is a Hurtin' Thing," died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, spokesman Paul Shefrin said.

Shefrin quoted Rawls' family as saying he was 72 years old, even though some reference books place his age at 70.

Rawls won three Grammy awards and 13 nominations over a career that lasted more than 40 years. During his career, he opened for The Beatles and appeared with the legendary Sam Cooke, a childhood friend.

He sold more than 40 million albums, acted in 18 movies, including "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Leaving Las Vegas" and appeared in 16 television series, starting with a small role in "77 Sunset Strip."