Al Green, the legendary soul singer and preacher, celebrates his 70<sup>th birthday today. The Let's Stay Together singer sold more than 20 million albums in the seventies alone, and his career has spanned both the pop and gospel music scenes.
Following an attack by his former girlfriend, Mary Woodson, which left him with third degree burns, and her subsequent suicide in 1974, Green made the decision to become a pastor. Around two years after her death he was ordained and bought a church in Memphis.
Green's return to the faith that he grew up with inspired him to speak out more openly and often about his beliefs.
To celebrate the Grammy-winning vocalist's birthday, we take a look back at what he's said about his faith in the past.
On the importance of church...
"Church is so important for black people because it's the only place we had to go when we couldn't go no place else. Couldn't go to the bar – wasn't allowed. Couldn't go to the hotel because we weren't able to rent a room. Couldn't go to the restaurant because we weren't allowed to be seated. So we went to church."
On hearing God...
"I think God chose to speak to me because I'm soft-hearted and he knew that I would be dumb enough to actually try."
On the dream that first encouraged him to return to Christianity at the peak of his success in 1973...
"I was scared to ask why it happened then that night. 'Cause I don't want nothin' to change. I said, 'Whatever your will is for me, I'll accept it,'"
On his decision to become a preacher...
"I wasn't doing it to be wealthy in material things. You are trying to get closer to your natural self by saying, 'I don't need that but I do need a bit more of the Messiah, of Jesus'."
On grace...
"The grace says if you can repent a thing and make up your mind you won't do that no more, that is the grace, to be free from all guilt. If I go to heaven and can take 10 people out of my whole lifetime, it would have been worth it to me."
"I believe we need to be prepared. You and I are saved by grace and faith, two cornerstones of our belief in God. The grace of God and then faith in Christ to be our reconciliation to God is gonna make all the difference in the world to us. We can live through our faith in his word and the grace of God applied to us."
