Leon Bridges: Influences

Leon Bridges appreciates the classics—and lots of them. Embedded in the deliciously dusty grooves of his tender retro soul are old-school Motown's melodic sweetness, Stax's down-home earthiness, and, of course, the great Sam Cooke's supper club panache. But the crooner also possesses a modern streak; it's sly, subtle, and informed by the passionate slow jams of Usher and R. Kelly.