Soul fans have known Eddie Floyd for almost six decades. Co-founder of The Falcons, a Detroit vocal group that paved the way for The Temptations and The Four Tops, Eddie and the group recorded what many consider one of the first Soul records, "You're So Fine". Later, they recruited Wilson Pickett and scored again with "I Found a Love".

Born in 1935 in Montgomery, Alabama, Eddie Floyd recorded prolifically with the Falcons between 1956 and 1962. Eddie quit the group that year, and began recording for Safice Records, a Washington, DC company he ran in partnership with former Moonglows member Chester Simmons and disc jockey Al Bell.

In the mid sixties, Eddie moved to Memphis and joined Stax Records as a songwriter. He had immediate successes with artists Carla Thomas, The Emotions, Sam & Dave, and old mate Pickett. But it was a song he wrote for Otis Redding that changed everything for him. Stax decided to release the song on Eddie himself. "Knock On Wood", co-written with guitarist Steve Cropper, quickly became one of the biggest hits of 1966 and has been a Soul staple ever since.

“Knock On Wood” has been covered by over 150 artists, including Count Basie, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Cher, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Michael Bolton, and at least three American Idol contestants. Eddie recently told an interviewer: “Seems like every time I meet someone they say, 'You know, I recorded your song once'." Amii Stewart’s 1979 version of “Knock On Wood” was a multi-platinum mega-smash that defines the Disco era.

During his decade-long association with Stax, Eddie also scored with "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)," "California Girl," an uptempo treatment of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me," and numerous others. Among the songs he penned for other artists, the biggest was Pickett's "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)," which was issued on Atlantic but recorded at Stax.

After the demise of Stax, Eddie recorded for Mercury, Malaco, Arista (UK), and Wilbe. He performed at the first President Bush's inaugural ball in 1989, and began a twenty-year association with the Blues Brothers Band. In 1998, he appeared in the film Blues Brothers 2000, performing "634-5789" with Wilson Pickett and Johnny Lang.

At 73, Eddie Floyd is constantly on the road, performing with the same energy and enthusiasm he’s shown audiences for half a century. He rang in New Year 2008 in Scotland, appearing with Kylie Minogue, and Sir Paul McCartney for Jools Holland's 15th annual Hootenanny on BBC-2. Eddie closed the show with "Knock on Wood," the song that continues to open doors for him.