We rarely celebrate legends while they are still with us, so let’s toast Al Green right now. The legendary soul singer is alive and, furthermore, tweeting. Rapper and noted social-media enthusiast Lil B tweeted his surprise and delight in finding out Green was still alive, writing “DAMN AL GREEN IS STILL ALIVE?!!!! I HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK!!! WOW!!!!!!!†To which the “Love and Happiness†singer replied with a more understated “Yes.â€
It makes a little sense Lil B thought Green was dead. Green abandoned his secular career near the height of his popularity, devoting himself to the church and becoming a pastor. “I was hooked up on jet planes, good times, fast women. Everything of mine was fast,†he told The Guardian in 2010. “I was born again in 1973, when I was just getting started in music. I looked up at the sky saying: ‘What are you doing? I just had a song on the radio and now you gonna give me religion?’†He returned to secular music with a single for the Scrooged soundtrack (timely and festive) in 1988. His most recent full album was 2008’s Lay It Down, which reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s “Top Album Sales†chart. Lil B invoked the Lord when responding to Green’s quote tweet, writing “GOD BLESS YOU!! IM FINA TELL MY MOM AND DAD AL GREEN TWEETED ME!!â€