Alwin Lopez Jarreau (12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 12 february 20… Read Full Bio ↴Alwin Lopez Jarreau (12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - 12 february 2017, Los Angeles, California), known popularly as Al Jarreau, was an American, Grammy Award–winning jazz singer. Versatile in his singing style, Jarreau is a twelve-time Grammy-nominated vocalist and the only vocalist in history to win a Grammy Award in three separate categories: jazz, pop, and R&B.

As the son of a vicar, he had his first singing experiences in a church choir. He attended Ripon College, where he also sang non-professionally with a group called the Indigos, and graduated in 1962. He went on to earn a master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from the University of Iowa, and worked as a rehabilitation counselor in San Francisco before joining a small jazz club trio headed by George Duke and deciding that he would make professional singing his life in 1968

He appeared in such Los Angeles hot spots as Dino's, the Troubador and Bitter End West. Television exposure came from Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin and David Frost, while he expanded his nightclub appearances to include performing at the Improv between the acts of such rising-star comics as Bette Midler, Jimmie Walker, and John Belushi, among others.

He was spotted by Warner Bros. in 1975 and soon thereafter released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, which catapulted him into international fame and garnered him a German Grammy Award. A second German Grammy would follow with the release of his second album, Glow.

One of Jarreau's most commercially and artistically successful albums is Breakin' Away (1981), which includes the hit song "We're in This Love Together." He wrote and performed the Grammy-nominated theme to the 1980s American television show Moonlighting. Among other things, he is well-known for his scat singing and the ability to perfectly imitate conventional guitar, bass and percussive instrumentation. He was also a featured vocalist on USA for Africa's "We are the World" and sang the line, "...and so we all must lend a helping hand."

He has toured and performed with such greats as Joe Sample, Kathleen Battle, Miles Davis, David Sanborn and Rick Braun. He also performed the role of the Teen Angel in a 1996 Broadway production of Grease. On March 6, 2001 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

Route 66
Al Jarreau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you ever plan to motor west,
travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

It winds from Chicago to LA,
more than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Now you go through Saint Looey
Joplin, Missouri,
and Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
You see Amarillo,
Gallup, New Mexico,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
Don't forget Winona,
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
when you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
when you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Overall Meaning

The song "Route 66" by Al Jarreau is an ode to everyone traveling west. The lyrics encourage listeners to follow Route 66, which is the highway that links Chicago to Los Angeles. This highway is known as the most scenic highway in the United States, with over 2,000 miles of open road.

The song's lyrics detail the different stops, landmarks and towns that one will pass on this route. From St. Louis to Amarillo, from Gallup to Flagstaff, the song brings out the beauty of the American West. It is a song that captures the spirit of adventure and possibility, urging travellers to not miss out on the excitement of this journey.

Line by Line Meaning

If you ever plan to motor west,
If you're ever thinking of driving towards the West

travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Take my advice and follow the best highway

Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.
Enjoy the adventure on Route 66

It winds from Chicago to LA,
Route 66 runs all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles

more than two thousand miles all the way.
The total distance covered by Route 66 is over two thousand miles

Now you go through Saint Looey
The route takes you through Saint Louis

Joplin, Missouri,
You pass through Joplin, Missouri

and Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
Oklahoma City is a beautiful city on the way

You see Amarillo,
You encounter Amarillo

Gallup, New Mexico,
You pass through Gallup, New Mexico

Flagstaff, Arizona.
The journey also includes Flagstaff, Arizona