About Soul Tracks

SoulTracks is the leading online resource dedicated to classic and modern Soul Music.  From its inception in 2003, SoulTracks has been designed to provide useful information and updates on the greatest Classic Soul artists and to introduce readers to the next generation of Soul Music singers.

SoulTracks includes artist biographies, music news and reviews, and First Listens to some of the newest music available, as well as regular CD giveaways, free song downloads and special offers.

SoulTracks is currently the most popular soul music website in America.

Chris Rizik (Publisher) is the founder and publisher of SoulTracks. Chris began building the website in his kitchen with one of his four children on Memorial Day weekend, 2003, to hold the transcripts of a soul music biography show he was broadcasting on XM Satellite Radio. What began as a hobby turned into a passion, and SoulTracks has expanded over the years to include thousands of pages of biographies, news and reviews, and it has developed into the most popular online magazine for soul music lovers. It has also attracted some of the most knowledgeable and passionate writers about Soul Music in the world, making it the complete bridge between classic and modern soul.

L. Michael Gipson (Editor at Large) is a critically acclaimed writer, award-winning youth advocate and burgeoning songwriter. For his public health youth work, Michael was the recipient of the NAACP and the Black AIDS Institute 2001 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow award. His socio-political essays have been published in two recent anthologies, including "Emerging Agendas: The Best of Poverty and Race 2001-2005". His feature articles and cultural criticism essays have regularly appeared in BET/CENTRIC, CREATIVE LOAFING ATL, SWERV, ARISE, CLIK, AMPLIFY, PULSE and PORT OF HARLEM. On the music scene, Michael began writing music artist profiles with the regional Midwestern cult classic URBAN DIALECT leading to his indie music column "Go Deep" on Rhythmflow.net before finally settling into the SoulTracks family. He is available for indie artist bios and promotional materials at faithwalkllc(at)gmail.com.

Melody Charles (Music Director) (motherofcolor@gmail.com) is a Cleveland-born, Dallas-based columnist, musician biographer, amateur photographer and entertainment journalist; her parents' extensive vinyl collection stoked her interest in all forms of music, but soul remains the genre that grooves and soothes. A professional writer for over 15 years, Ms. Charles has contributed to a variety of websites and publications, including DallasBlack.com, Upscale magazine, Florida Today and The Dallas Morning News, where she currently pens weekly columns for its Briefing Department covering pop culture and current events.  For Melody, writing for SoulTracks is yet another step in cementing her reputation as an insightful, enthusiastic conveyor of R&B musicians, events and culture. Past and present articles, including those linking back to soultracks.com, can be found at www.motherofcolor.com

Howard Dukes (Senior Writer) is a father of three and a reporter for the South Bend Tribune as well as a poet, playwright and filmmaker, with two documentary films and two successful plays under his belt. In 2006 he published his first book, Will Flo-4-Food, and is now working on a new book on the underground soul music scene.

Our Contributing Writers (alphabetically)

Ann Marie Collymore (aka Soulafrodisiac/AMC) is a veteran independent writer, blogger and copywriter with more than 14 years experience writing for various print and online publications in Canada and the U.S. Ann Marie is constantly on the go networking, managing her professional copywriting company Soulafrodisiac Consulting, and is also the Video Editor and Concert Reviewer for SoulTracks. Having worked with BET/Centric TV, SoulTracks and Word Magazine to name a few, has enabled Ann Marie to share her passion with her readers on Soulafrodisiac.com. Recently, Ann Marie added the title of Radio Host to her resume. You can find Soulafrodisiac aka AMC, on Fullasoul.com, Sundays at 2 PM EDT, where AMC bringing her website to life with music and her usual antics, while hosting her show The Rhythm with AMC. Always on the move, you are bound to find AMC taking in an event, networking, and making moves in a city near you. (soulafrodisiac.amc@gmail.com)

Justin Kantor's work has been published in Wax Poetics, The All-Music Guide, and SoulMusic.com. A graduate of Berklee College of Music's Business/Management program, he honed his writing chops as a teenager—publishing The Hip Key from 1992-1996. The Virginia-based magazine reached a circulation of 10,000 by Justin's sophomore year in high school. At Berklee, he continued to perfect his craft with a series of in-depth 'Underrated Soul' features for The Groove from 1997-2003. A passionate Black music historian, Justin has also penned liner notes for reissue labels Funky Town Grooves, Soul Music Records and Big Break Records. (krystolfan@gmail.com).

Keivu G. Knox (kgknox22(at)gmail.com) is a native Detroiter who grew up in a family that had a genuine love for music. As the youngest of six boys, he would spend time reading the liner notes of various albums in his family's record collection. That curiosity sparked a sincere desire to soak up as much as he could about the singers, writers and producers behind the music.  This led to a hobby of writing about some of his favorite albums an artists. In 2015, he turned his hobby into becoming a contributor to Smooth Jazz Magazine, writing album reviews and conducting artist interviews. Keivu has a B.A. from the University of Michigan in American Cultures and an M.B.A. from Regis University. He currently lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife and their children.

Peggy Oliver - No matter what 'office-type' day job Ms. Peggy Oliver has worked in, the music industry somehow finds a way to her life and her heart. Majoring back in the day as a Broadcast Major at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, the Seattle, WA native was a DJ for several regional radio stations, including Seattle's KEXP 90.3 FM (formerly KCMU FM), featuring an eclectic format of nearly all genres.  She also served as traffic manager at KBCS 91.7 FM on the campus of Bellevue (WA) Community College. Ms. Oliver was infected by the music review writing bug as a former bookkeeper/administrative assistant at Blues To Do's, a Seattle-based Blues Music magazine. Presently, besides Soultracks, Ms. Oliver is a regular contributor to http://www.gospelcity.com/ and http://www.blackgospel.com.

Robb Patryk is a partner with the law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in New York City who has represented Maysa Leak, Robin Gibb, and many other musicians.   He originated our Flashback Soul series and has authored album and concert reviews.

Christian John Wikane is a NYC-based music journalist whose passion for his subject matter stems all the way back to age two when he heard "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross on a scratchy 45 rpm. He holds a BS in Media, Culture & Society from Northeastern University where he studied the relationship between popular music and socio-cultural issues. After his arrival in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, he became a voting member of the Dance Music Hall of Fame, volunteered for LIFEbeat, and continued writing artist features for David Nathan's Soulmusic.com. Christian is currently a Contributing Editor for PopMatters, which features his CD reviews and interviews with legendary musicians and emerging artists. Christian's articles have appeared in the Boston Herald and Edmonton Journal. He's also written for About.com and Dave Marsh's Rock & Rap Confidential.

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