Al Green is a Musicheads Essential Artist. Green’s family was so religious that he was thrown out of his house for listening to Jackie Wilson. Al Green loved the great soul singers, but it was the hip-shakin' boys that really inspired him. Green's big break came when he met Memphis record producer Willie Mitchell in 1969, when he was invited to be a vocalist for an upcoming show. Following the performance, Mitchell signed up Al Green to his Hi Records label. He noticed that Green was often trying to sing like his heroes, so he coached him into finding his own voice. Once Al Green found that smooth-as-silk voice, he was off to the races, racking up a long string of hits on his way to superstardom.