Soul music started when a number of rhythm and blues and ex-church musicians took gospel songs and adapted them to be about a lover rather than God. Many started as gospel singers who were often successful and selling large numbers of records to church audiences and subsequently moved into secular music-often alienating most of their original audience at the time.
Famous examples include Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, the staple singers and examples of songs that started life as gospel tunes include Hallelujah I Love her So, I found a love and stand by me