Recording Star Lou Rawls Dead at 72

Recording star Lou Rawls, who appeared on Broadway twice during his illustrious career, died January 6 of lung cancer, according to an Associated Press report. He was 72.

"I loved working with Lou so much," Hairspray's Darlene Love, who starred in the musical Me and Mrs. Jones alongside Rawls, told Broadway.com. "I've known him since his gospel days and watched him grow into an unbelievable entertainer. He sang songs that we will all love and cherish forever. There will never be another voice like Lou Rawls."

"Lou was larger than life," another Me and Mrs. Jones cast member, Orfeh, said. "He was everything you'd expect Lou Rawls to be. My husband Andy [Karl, who also appeared in Me and Mrs. Jones] and I are very sad today."

"There will be no one like Lou Rawls again," Me and Mrs. Jones co-librettist/director Charles Randolph-Wright commented. "He was the complete package with that voice and personality. I cannot imagine anyone ever replacing him."

Rawls had his own Broadway show, Lou Rawls on Broadway, in 1977. He later returned to the Great White Way as a replacement in Smokey Joe's Café. Rawls appeared in the world premiere of the musical Me and Mrs. Jones, featuring music from the Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff catalog including the famous Rawls hit "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia in 2001. The show was rumored for a Broadway run, but that never materialized.

Rawls is of course best known for his musical talents. He garnered three Grammy Awards, one platinum album and five gold albums. He also worked as a composer and composed the end theme for the 1998 film Angel III: The Final Chapter. Rawls' acting credits include roles in Bel Air, Leaving Las Vegas, Blues Brothers 2000, The Code Conspiracy and Uh Oh!. He additionally lent his voice to the character of a newborn baby in The Rugrats Movie. Rawls was also very active in charities--his Parade of Stars telethon raised well over $100 million for the United Negro College Fund.

Rawls was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2004 and brain cancer in May 2005. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he had been for the last month. Rawls is survived by his wife and four children.