Wichita’s soul pioneer Rudy Love dies at 73 after fight with cancer

Beloved Wichita musician and soul pioneer Rudy Love has died at age 73 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

In a Wednesday morning Facebook post, Rudy Love Jr. described his father as “OUR hero” and asked fans to keep the Love family in their thoughts and prayers.

“Rudy was an extraordinary man. This loss will be felt for a lifetime not just by us. But all over the world,” the post reads.

As a performer, Rudy Love was best known for his role as the leading man in the sibling group Rudy Love & the Love Family, but his influence on the music industry ran much deeper.

Love co-wrote songs with Ray Charles and worked alongside Little Richard and Marvin Gaye. He inspired rapper Jay-Z, who sampled Rudy Love & the Love Family’s 1976 “Does Your Mama Know” on his own 2007 track, “Sweet.”

The 2018 documentary “This is Love” by director John Alexander chronicling Love’s life and career picked up multiple awards, including Best International Documentary at the 2018 Rome Independent Film Festival.

“His voice, his actions, his deep spirituality touched people in a way that was profound,” said Ann Garvey, Love’s ex-wife, who has remained close with his family.

“Rudy was a great light. He radiated love, so he was very well-named. I often have said that it’s almost impossible not to love Rudy Love.”

Despite being the victim of shady music industry dealings that kept him from breaking into the mainstream as a performer, he never lost the love for his craft.

“The adulation and fame didn’t mean so much to him,” Garvey said. “What mattered to him is that he expressed his soul, and that’s a word that gets bantered about, but it comes down to that.”

Love was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April, but he didn’t let that stop him. He and his son performed before the Sedgwick County Commission, which proclaimed July 21, 2021, to be Rudy Love Day.

Garvey said Love forged a deep, spiritual connection with his audience. She recalled in particular a time when he sang at the funeral of another local musician.

“They went through the whole litany of musicians singing, and then Rudy stood up. And from that great heart, he sang and I am telling you, the dam burst,” Garvey said. “His voice and his heart and his soul just caused everyone there to break down and let their tears flow.”

Rudy Love Jr. asked that fans respect the family’s privacy in this difficult time.

Funeral arrangements are pending.