Born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18, 1942, Lou Ragland is a journeyman soul singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and label head who has been making fine music since the early '60s, and while a breakthrough hit eluded him, he's earned a loyal following in the United States and Great Britain for his strong, eclectic body of work. In 2012, the respected reissue label the Numero Group teamed with Ragland to assemble a career-spanning anthology of his work; the result was a three-CD or four-LP box set, I Travel Alone. ~ Mark Deming