Hoyt's mother, Mae Axton, co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel", Elvis Presley's first big hit (1956) on the RCA label. Hoyt also wrote "Never Been to Spain" another 3-Dog Night hit. He's written several songs that became hit recordings for other artists. Hoyt, himself, was arguably the most vocally powerful singer of Folk and Folk-Blues in the 60s and 70s.
I was around when this came out and honestly, back then, we didn't wonder or care what color the singers were, either we liked the song or we didn't. We listened to music for the music, not for who sang it. We listened to black, white, native american, straight, gay, male or female, because we liked the song.
Thank you! 70 year old rock 'n roll gal here and you are sooo correct. It was all about great music no matter who sang it - of course I now have to wear hearing aids 🤣. I _adore_ watching these reactions.
They didn't write, they were great at taking unknown songs from other artists and turning them into hits, the world's greatest cover band. Tons of great music, always fun, too. Shambala, Eli's Comin', Mama Told Me Not To Come, Never Been To Spain are just a few of my favorites.
One of the singers Cory Wells used to listen to the music coming from black churches when he was a young man. He formed a band of interracial performers when he was in the Air Force. He sings lead on Eli’s Coming.
Blue eyed soul you know. I grew up in the 70s and the R&B scene along with Motown was exploding on the popular music scene. Occasionally, white dudes actually had soul. It was all good; we loved the great music coming from everywhere. Still do!
When you said "Baptist" I laughed so hard! My dad was a Baptist preacher, and he would stick his head into my room and wake me up by singing this song! 🤠
Hoyt Axton was the writer, and he was a good singer & actor. His mother was a very well known songwriter Mae Axton, and even wrote Elvis’ hit “Heartbreak Hotel”. They hold a record for the only mother and son who have ever written No.1 songs.
I didn't give it a thought as to who was singing it, I was just enjoying the music Mugsy! Of course I knew who Three Dog Night was, I bought a few of their albums! But we never thought about that, we just enjoyed the music, it didn't matter who sang it and who really cares if it's great music!
Please react to "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song" by these guys.....i've always loved them !!......watch closely cuz they're funny !!!.....and also "Mama Told Me Not to Come"........please do the videos with the band itself.
This is the music I grew up with this and a lot of this kind of music has shaped my life as I grew older. With having 4 older Brothers I have heard and saw a lot of these groups.
Three dog night did a lot of covers but i'm not sure about this particular song. When they do a cover they definitely make it theirs. They are in my top ten bands of the 70s.
Saw this band in Miami before they released their first album. Never heard of them. They weren't the headlining band, and I can't remember who was. It didn't matter because these guys just blew everyone away. Three Dog Night was a huge band as far as members, and were so good I was shocked. All I remember saying was "Who Are These Guys?. All three singers have passed away, but these guys ruled the radio stations back in the day.
Three Dog Night made it a point to carefully select songs written by other artists and then make those songs into hits. This song was written by Hoyt Axton. Love how Mike and Joe have their guitars flipped around.
We sang this in my elementary school choir in 73... they made us sing "mighty fine milk" 😅 they would not let kids sing about wine 😂 nor straight shooting s.o.g 😂 we sang "love to have some fun "
Mind this late 70s when I was buying Dad's cigarettes, but a 3rd grader singing the lyrics about wine and sweet love got ya in trouble while singing the song assigned lol
5 months late seeing this, but.. A lot of the music of the late 60s to early 70s was inspired by the feelings against the war in Vietnam. Thus a lot of lyrics about peace and love. It was the hippie generation who were into sex, drugs, rock and roll and free love. "Make love, not war" was a popular saying back then. Wherever whichever artist got their inspiration from, the feelings of that generation definitely came into play.
AM Radio monster in the 70's. 3 dog night always reminded me of the Doobie Brothers in a way. I bought this 45 at Woolworth's when I was about 10 years old and loved it then. I never got into this band much, so I can't tell you if it's worth an album review, but always like to hear your take any music.
Definitely a Black Gospel feel. Credit producer Richard Podoler for the great production sound. He was the same producer on early Steppenwolf recordings
Don't know if you check comments? Google Three Dog Night with the Tennessee Symphony Orchestra. It will not disappoint. They didn't write, they were a cover band. That's what makes them so unique
I grew up on TDN music. I read their bio’s. All 3 could sing. Corey Wells ( the one with the light hair) when he was young he would sit on steps of churches to listen to gospel music.
Opening song for the movie "The Big Chill". The Big Chill had on of the best soundtrack of any movie. Arethea Franklin, The Band, Marvin Gaye I heard it through the Grapevine". Creedence Clear Water, Rolling Stones and others.
Another album that my parents had in the early 70's when I was growing up; remember being around 6 years old, the "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog!!" got my attention! "ONE" is also an excellent cover done by Three Dog Night. Mug, we lived in the Bronx then, and yes, it made me think of church music; my Dad was a Deacon at our church, which was equally one third Puerto Rican and one third white; our Reverend was white, and the Reverend now is black. I LOVED church!
I was five or six years old when this song came out. I loved it. It was a fun song. So my perspective was formed on a different level than it would be now as an adult. I see your perspective and it makes sense. Three dog night have a variety of styles of music which is one of the reasons I like them so much. They weren't stuck with one type of sound to define tbem. 55 years later and I can still sing this song word for word.. You should listen to the whole album.
I saw these guys in concert about 8 years ago. And they were AMAZING! Sounded unbelievably great after all these years. Not offended at all by your comments ... definitely has a churchy, black vibe ... and sounds great! They have several other songs worth a listen ... One is really good, Never Been to Spain is good, Black & White is a song about race and not in a preachy way ... just great music.
I grew up in a White southern baptist church and we got up on our feet clapped and raised our hands to the Lord too. 😊 Southern Pentecostal churches are also known for their rather rambunctious worship. But of course we did like a good Introspective "traditional" hymn every now and then.
I do hope you realize the first “Joy to the World” is an old religious song about the coming of Jesus, & was known by EVERYONE who ever sang in church. That is WHY Hoyt Axton used it as a title for a modern pop song.
Seriously good comments on your part. Give "Young Rascals" a listen back then, thought another great white band that had beautiful Soul Voices. And as a white guy if you want to play ANYTHING with Marvin Gaye, or Smokey Robinson I'm sure nobody will cry what is wrong with you.
This was written by Hoyt Axton I believe. They didn’t write their songs as a rule but they were smart as hell about the songs they selected to sing!! They have had around 12 number one hits. You need to do Black and White and Mama Told Me Not To Come (fun and upbeat tune)!!
If I not mistaken I believe this was written by Hoyt Axton! But my "ole' boys" from Canada definitely put their own stamp on it as well they could!!😁✌️❤🤟🎸🎶
Danny Hutton, The one in the back on the right, black pants, dark hair is the only original member left in the group. Saw him a couple of years ago. Chuck Negron the singer of this song officially left the group in 1985, Corey Wells back left light colored pants and top passed away 2015.
This song meant so much to us little ones back when it came out i was 8 and we were all so overwhelmed with Vietnam thats all we saw EVERYDAY! Its like they wrote this for us! I'll never forget it!
You should listen to a British band called ( Blue Mink )and there songs Melting Pot / The Banner Man / Good Morning Freedom / Our World / all from the late 60s to the 70s
Joy To The World was written by Hoyt Axton , a fantastic singer in his own right. You should check out "Della nd the Dealer" and "Speed Trap". BTW Hoyt's mother wrote Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis. To my knowledge Three Dog Night has no original music in their catalogue. Most of what they did were covers. The attraction was in the arrangements and the versatility of the members.
They didn't write any of their hits... they were the greatest cover band ever!!! I was involved in a church youth group at the beach I lived at and during the summers we did a puppet show on the boardwalk. Every once in a while, if the pastor wasn't there that night, we would do "Joy to the World." I still find myself using my hand as a puppet mouth when I hear this song...LOL!
If you heard it on the radio and you thought it was a black group doesn't mean I would think it was a black group to each their own but I never heard a southern black church sermon back in the day it never entered my mind
The one song that always makes me happy when I hear it is "Bad Moon Rising", by Credence Clearwater Revival. If you haven't heard it, please review it.
So let's take from this Jeremiah the bullfrog is Jeremiah the prophet. The '70s had a lot of Christian derived songs. Their song Eli's coming, came from a writer who wrote an album Eli and the 13th confession '70s also brings to mind Norman greenbaum and his song Spirit in the sky. In my opinion the '70s was a lot more united than we are today It came from a time of great division between races and cultures and it strived for a unity and we had that for a little bit until probably about the end of the '90s early 2000s. I think things took a terrible shift backwards after that. Music used to be shared and nobody really hated on one another for learning the other cultures music and performing the other cultures music whether it be black white Indian because the '70s also had a lot of sitars in it lol. I think we went backwards and I would love to get the unity of the '70s back together
I have noticed younger people critiquing and listening to music that I grew up with are frequently shocked and surprised that the bands are white We listen to all kinds of music, all kinds of people played that music We didn’t care we loved it And if you noticed the people have very interesting dress styles also And we didn’t care we loved the music My generation, baby boomers, we’re not nearly as snooty and prejudice as younger people seem to think we were I grew up in an integrated United States of America
Most , not all , but most early rock and roll came from southern gospel sounds and influence .. Elvis Presley , buddy holly and Jerry Lee Lewis are examples. Axten was a country singer so blues / gospel where an influence were a good guess. The whole record album was great , you should dive in to more of Three dog night :) I agree with your feelings on this one , great reaction love your channel.
Of course "Joy to the World" (as covered by 3 Dog Night) draws on a lot of Black musical traditions--I don't think anyone who knows rock music would argue with that. The songwriter (Hoyt Axton) was white, and 3 Dog Night was mostly white (their drummer was black), but that really doesn't matter. Rock 'n Roll originally borrowed heavily from African-American musical traditions, mainly the blues and gospel, and of course, there were many influential early black Rock 'n Roll artists, e.g., Chuck Berry, Lil' Richard, etc. The creation of jazz and blues by African-American musicians quickly found its way into white musical circles--it's like you said, music is meant to be shared.
"Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton and made famous by the band Three Dog Night."
Hoyt Acton was the father in the movie Gremlins
Hoyt's mother, Mae Axton, co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel", Elvis Presley's first big hit (1956) on the RCA label. Hoyt also wrote "Never Been to Spain" another 3-Dog Night hit. He's written several songs that became hit recordings for other artists. Hoyt, himself, was arguably the most vocally powerful singer of Folk and Folk-Blues in the 60s and 70s.
Those of us who grew up in this time just thought it was normal it was the 60s and70s . everybody had soul
Hoyt Axton wrote, Never been to Spain too! Had to fix this... autowrong changed what I typed smh...
@@RobertColyer-co1nuYes, he was!
"Shambala" is another fantastic upbeat song by Three Dog Night...
The 70's had soul!!
We had the best music back in the 70's!
@@threekidzmom04Sure did 👍
I was around when this came out and honestly, back then, we didn't wonder or care what color the singers were, either we liked the song or we didn't. We listened to music for the music, not for who sang it. We listened to black, white, native american, straight, gay, male or female, because we liked the song.
HEAR! HEAR!
Thank you! 70 year old rock 'n roll gal here and you are sooo correct. It was all about great music no matter who sang it - of course I now have to wear hearing aids 🤣. I _adore_ watching these reactions.
"Jeramiah was a bullfrog." One of the best, most recognizable opening lines of all time.
I can't think of a better opening line.
They didn't write, they were great at taking unknown songs from other artists and turning them into hits, the world's greatest cover band. Tons of great music, always fun, too. Shambala, Eli's Comin', Mama Told Me Not To Come, Never Been To Spain are just a few of my favorites.
So true! You can feel the joy in this song.
One of the singers Cory Wells used to listen to the music coming from black churches when he was a young man. He formed a band of interracial performers when he was in the Air Force. He sings lead on Eli’s Coming.
OMG, I forgot “One is the Loneliest Number”! “Liar” is strong!
I was 7 years old when this came out and now I'll be 60 this year and it's "still" one of my all time favorites 🤭😁😆✌️❤🌎🤟🎸🎶
Blue eyed soul you know. I grew up in the 70s and the R&B scene along with Motown was exploding on the popular music scene. Occasionally, white dudes actually had soul. It was all good; we loved the great music coming from everywhere. Still do!
When you said "Baptist" I laughed so hard! My dad was a Baptist preacher, and he would stick his head into my room and wake me up by singing this song! 🤠
When I think of Three Dog Night, I think of a group that strived to break the color barrier. I love their song, Black and White.
Three Dog Night are the world's most successful cover band.
Hoyt Axton was the writer, and he was a good singer & actor. His mother was a very well known songwriter Mae Axton, and even wrote Elvis’ hit “Heartbreak Hotel”. They hold a record for the only mother and son who have ever written No.1 songs.
My mother (a sixty-one year old [in !971] white woman from Texas) absolutely adored this song. This makes me think of her with joy.
Check out Never to Spain man….bruh!
My favorite
👍👍Awesome performance, I loved them back in the day.😊 🖖❤
When I was a kid, my family and I went a lot of weddings. Every wedding band ALWAYS played this song. In my head forever. ❤
I didn't give it a thought as to who was singing it, I was just enjoying the music Mugsy! Of course I knew who Three Dog Night was, I bought a few of their albums! But we never thought about that, we just enjoyed the music, it didn't matter who sang it and who really cares if it's great music!
Thank you for the heart, I really appreciate it!
They made a career of recording others songwriting. Loved them ! Thank you for sharing
Three Dog Night was strictly a cover band. The best cover band ever. They had amazing arrangers.
Laura Nero wrote Eli's Coming. She was a fantastic singer.
Number one hit of the year in 71. Three Dog Night, a MONSTER hit machine of the 70's. A deep and varied song list.
Please react to "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song" by these guys.....i've always loved them !!......watch closely cuz they're funny !!!.....and also "Mama Told Me Not to Come"........please do the videos with the band itself.
Have this on OG vinyl (thanks to my 81 yr old dad)
Saw them live in the 90’s and they were awesome
This is the music I grew up with this and a lot of this kind of music has shaped my life as I grew older. With having 4 older Brothers I have heard and saw a lot of these groups.
Some of the greatest song writers of all time wrote the songs that 3DN performed. Laura Niro wrote “Eli’s Coming.”
If you haven’t done so yet give a song called “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry a listen.
Three dog night did a lot of covers but i'm not sure about this particular song. When they do a cover they definitely make it theirs. They are in my top ten bands of the 70s.
Saw this band in Miami before they released their first album. Never heard of them. They weren't the headlining band, and I can't remember who was. It didn't matter because these guys just blew everyone away. Three Dog Night was a huge band as far as members, and were so good I was shocked. All I remember saying was "Who Are These Guys?. All three singers have passed away, but these guys ruled the radio stations back in the day.
Three Dog Night made it a point to carefully select songs written by other artists and then make those songs into hits.
This song was written by Hoyt Axton.
Love how Mike and Joe have their guitars flipped around.
My childhood❤❤❤
Great reation ❤
Black and White is a great Three Dog Night song the country and the world needs to hear
Chuck Negron (lead singer on this song) also repurposed the chorus for the Christmas song "Joy To The World."
We sang this in my elementary school choir in 73... they made us sing "mighty fine milk" 😅 they would not let kids sing about wine 😂 nor straight shooting s.o.g 😂 we sang "love to have some fun "
My brother and I would sing this song driving to high school in the morning. One of my best memories. 😎
Your commentary is what we’re here for. Keep dipping into the history of the music and the artists that made it great.
I remember getting in trouble in elementary school music class singing the full lyrics lol😂
Mind this late 70s when I was buying Dad's cigarettes, but a 3rd grader singing the lyrics about wine and sweet love got ya in trouble while singing the song assigned lol
I want to see you react to Dolby Gray. Drift away
Eli's Coming was composed by Laura Nyro, Joy To The World and Never Been To Spain by country singer Hoyt Axton
5 months late seeing this, but.. A lot of the music of the late 60s to early 70s was inspired by the feelings against the war in Vietnam. Thus a lot of lyrics about peace and love. It was the hippie generation who were into sex, drugs, rock and roll and free love. "Make love, not war" was a popular saying back then. Wherever whichever artist got their inspiration from, the feelings of that generation definitely came into play.
My two favorite songs as an 11-year-old(1971)
Joy to the world
Yellow submarine.
The only two records I had. (45s)
AM Radio monster in the 70's. 3 dog night always reminded me of the Doobie Brothers in a way. I bought this 45 at Woolworth's when I was about 10 years old and loved it then. I never got into this band much, so I can't tell you if it's worth an album review, but always like to hear your take any music.
I was about 4 years old and this was my first 45 record ever my older cousin gave me ✌️
Definitely a Black Gospel feel. Credit producer Richard Podoler for the great production sound. He was the same producer on early Steppenwolf recordings
Hoyt Axton wrote this song, a famous country and western musician, singer and songwriter.
I agree with you! Lead singer Cory has passed. The other two are in their early 80’s
Danny Hutton is 77 and still touring as Three Dog Night
Chuck Negron is still alive?
Don't know if you check comments? Google Three Dog Night with the Tennessee Symphony Orchestra. It will not disappoint. They didn't write, they were a cover band. That's what makes them so unique
Reminds me of an old-fashioned tent revival!!!
Love 3 Dog Night
Such a great tune! 😎
I grew up on TDN music. I read their bio’s. All 3 could sing. Corey Wells ( the one with the light hair) when he was young he would sit on steps of churches to listen to gospel music.
Opening song for the movie "The Big Chill". The Big Chill had on of the best soundtrack of any movie. Arethea Franklin, The Band, Marvin Gaye I heard it through the Grapevine". Creedence Clear Water, Rolling Stones and others.
And "Eli's Coming" was written by the superbly talented Lauro Nyro.
I would love to see you react to their song called
"Mama told me not to come"
Another album that my parents had in the early 70's when I was growing up; remember being around 6 years old, the "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog!!" got my attention! "ONE" is also an excellent cover done by Three Dog Night. Mug, we lived in the Bronx then, and yes, it made me think of church music; my Dad was a Deacon at our church, which was equally one third Puerto Rican and one third white; our Reverend was white, and the Reverend now is black. I LOVED church!
I was five or six years old when this song came out. I loved it. It was a fun song. So my perspective was formed on a different level than it would be now as an adult. I see your perspective and it makes sense. Three dog night have a variety of styles of music which is one of the reasons I like them so much. They weren't stuck with one type of sound to define tbem. 55 years later and I can still sing this song word for word.. You should listen to the whole album.
I just finished his book Three Dog Nightmare what an inspiring story. Everyone should read it that enjoys his music.
I saw these guys in concert about 8 years ago. And they were AMAZING! Sounded unbelievably great after all these years. Not offended at all by your comments ... definitely has a churchy, black vibe ... and sounds great! They have several other songs worth a listen ... One is really good, Never Been to Spain is good, Black & White is a song about race and not in a preachy way ... just great music.
I'm white but you're right...they sound like the music is a black church group.....but they did. Crazy!
I grew up in a White southern baptist church and we got up on our feet clapped and raised our hands to the Lord too. 😊 Southern Pentecostal churches are also known for their rather rambunctious worship.
But of course we did like a good Introspective "traditional" hymn every now and then.
I do hope you realize the first “Joy to the World” is an old religious song about the coming of Jesus, & was known by EVERYONE who ever sang in church. That is WHY Hoyt Axton used it as a title for a modern pop song.
Seriously good comments on your part. Give "Young Rascals" a listen back then, thought another great white band that had beautiful Soul Voices. And as a white guy if you want to play ANYTHING with Marvin Gaye, or Smokey Robinson I'm sure nobody will cry what is wrong with you.
This was written by Hoyt Axton I believe. They didn’t write their songs as a rule but they were smart as hell about the songs they selected to sing!! They have had around 12 number one hits. You need to do Black and White and Mama Told Me Not To Come (fun and upbeat tune)!!
Professor of Rock has a video on his channel about this song and the story behind it.
If I not mistaken I believe this was written by Hoyt Axton! But my "ole' boys" from Canada definitely put their own stamp on it as well they could!!😁✌️❤🤟🎸🎶
Danny Hutton, The one in the back on the right, black pants, dark hair is the only original member left in the group. Saw him a couple of years ago. Chuck Negron the singer of this song officially left the group in 1985, Corey Wells back left light colored pants and top passed away 2015.
And Laura Nyro wrote Elis coming you can google her too... man, come on!
I was 7 and was my first favorite song
First Concert for me.
This song meant so much to us little ones back when it came out i was 8 and we were all so overwhelmed with Vietnam thats all we saw EVERYDAY! Its like they wrote this for us! I'll never forget it!
Yo HOYT ,,he wrote THe Pusher ,Never Been To Spain ,,The NO NO NO Song ..He was a singer songwriter and he had many ..Chek his version of The Pusher
But then check out Steppenwolf’s version. That’s a must.
@@mjeffn2 Oh yes they made it what it is in popularity .... Hoyt's version is wild loud grungy ..
You should listen to a British band called ( Blue Mink )and there songs Melting Pot / The Banner Man / Good Morning Freedom / Our World / all from the late 60s to the 70s
Peace ☮️
PLAY THE WHOLE ALBUM
I used to have all their albums
Joy To The World was written by Hoyt Axton , a fantastic singer in his own right. You should check out "Della nd the Dealer" and "Speed Trap". BTW Hoyt's mother wrote Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis. To my knowledge Three Dog Night has no original music in their catalogue. Most of what they did were covers. The attraction was in the arrangements and the versatility of the members.
Please do Black and White, beautiful song 😊
In general, most rock ‘n’ roll had its roots in African-American churches and other places.
They didn't write any of their hits... they were the greatest cover band ever!!!
I was involved in a church youth group at the beach I lived at and during the summers we did a puppet show on the boardwalk. Every once in a while, if the pastor wasn't there that night, we would do "Joy to the World." I still find myself using my hand as a puppet mouth when I hear this song...LOL!
Absolutely black soul music-inspired. I’ve heard Three Dog Night described as “white soul.”
It was song of the year in 1971!❤
Another hit in my opinion is , Out in the Country by 3 Dog Night
If you heard it on the radio and you thought it was a black group doesn't mean I would think it was a black group to each their own but I never heard a southern black church sermon back in the day it never entered my mind
Hey.....Nothing wrong tellin it like it is! 🙂
You would be a great A and R rep for record company you see and understand talent like I do thanks my man....
The one song that always makes me happy when I hear it is "Bad Moon Rising", by Credence Clearwater Revival. If you haven't heard it, please review it.
Check out An Old Fashioned Love 🎵 🎶
Cool groove on the bass
So let's take from this Jeremiah the bullfrog is Jeremiah the prophet.
The '70s had a lot of Christian derived songs. Their song Eli's coming, came from a writer who wrote an album Eli and the 13th confession
'70s also brings to mind Norman greenbaum and his song Spirit in the sky. In my opinion the '70s was a lot more united than we are today It came from a time of great division between races and cultures and it strived for a unity and we had that for a little bit until probably about the end of the '90s early 2000s. I think things took a terrible shift backwards after that. Music used to be shared and nobody really hated on one another for learning the other cultures music and performing the other cultures music whether it be black white Indian because the '70s also had a lot of sitars in it lol.
I think we went backwards and I would love to get the unity of the '70s back together
I have noticed younger people critiquing and listening to music that I grew up with are frequently shocked and surprised that the bands are white
We listen to all kinds of music, all kinds of people played that music
We didn’t care we loved it
And if you noticed the people have very interesting dress styles also
And we didn’t care we loved the music
My generation, baby boomers, we’re not nearly as snooty and prejudice as younger people seem to think we were
I grew up in an integrated United States of America
Most , not all , but most early rock and roll came from southern gospel sounds and influence .. Elvis Presley , buddy holly and Jerry Lee Lewis are examples. Axten was a country singer so blues / gospel where an influence were a good guess. The whole record album was great , you should dive in to more of Three dog night :) I agree with your feelings on this one , great reaction love your channel.
Written By Hoyt Axton
as was Never Been To Spain
Hoyt Axton. I'm pretty sure he was stoned when he wrote it. Lol. A country writer mainly. Probably was a fan of of soul music.
I feel like you're drawing a line in the sand.. at the beach.
Mugnify- This is BOOMER MUSIC! LOL! Rock on!
Of course "Joy to the World" (as covered by 3 Dog Night) draws on a lot of Black musical traditions--I don't think anyone who knows rock music would argue with that. The songwriter (Hoyt Axton) was white, and 3 Dog Night was mostly white (their drummer was black), but that really doesn't matter. Rock 'n Roll originally borrowed heavily from African-American musical traditions, mainly the blues and gospel, and of course, there were many influential early black Rock 'n Roll artists, e.g., Chuck Berry, Lil' Richard, etc. The creation of jazz and blues by African-American musicians quickly found its way into white musical circles--it's like you said, music is meant to be shared.
If you want to see blue eye soul, watch there cover of Try A Little Tenderness 1975 Sound Stage video. Cory gives Otis a run for his money.
Do your research
But let loose and enjoy