Willie Hightower

Willie Hightower operated on the fringes of FAME in the late '60s. Signed by Bobby Robinson, one of the powerhouse record men of Southern soul and R&B, Hightower eked out two national hits -- "It's a Miracle," which peaked at 33 on Billboard's R&B charts in 1969; it was eclipsed by a version of Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" the next year -- before fading from view. Hightower may not have scored another hit, but his sweet, weathered voice -- one molded by his love of Sam Cooke, then given definition by his adoption of deep soul techniques -- aged well, turning his handf...