Edwin Starr

Edwin Starr was an American soul singer born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1942, who rose to prominence on Motown's Gordy label in the early 1970s. He is best known for his 1970 single «War», a raw, horn-driven protest anthem against the Vietnam War whose blunt chorus — «War, huh, good God, y'all, what is it good for?» — turned it into a chart-topping hit and one of the era's defining political songs.

Starr's style fused hard-edged Motown soul with funk grit and socially conscious lyricism, standing apart from the label's smoother pop-soul output. Earlier hits like «Twenty-Five Miles» and «Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S.)» showcased his powerful, gritty vocal delivery before «War» redefined his career, and he continued exploring political and social themes on tracks such as «Stop the War Now».

He later relocated to the United Kingdom, where he remained a popular live performer and continued recording into the 1980s and beyond, including collaborations tied to the Northern Soul scene. Edwin Starr died in England in 2003, remembered as one of soul music's most powerful vocalists and the voice behind one of the most enduring anti-war anthems in popular music.