Happy Birthday, Barry White!

One thing you'll have a hard time doing is mistaking Barry White's baritone for any other singer. There simply isn't anything else like it. The late soul legend would've turned 71 years old today (Sept. 12).

That voice has led White to some titanic achievements. The man has a whopping 106 gold albums and 41 platinum albums. Like breaking Thriller's sales record, it's impossible to think a modern soul artist can touch White's numbers.

Long before Marvin Gaye did so with Midnight Love, White rode off disco's fading coattails in addition to making the most off Motown brass. His two biggest hits, "You're the First, the Last, My Everything"  and "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," showed off his mastery over those two styles.

Despite his hit-making ability and his signature voice, White never quite achieved the same amount of acclaim his peers Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye did. One possible reason is that White never released that titanic civil rights statement; Franklin had "Respect" and Marvin Gaye had What's Going On.

Still, White found his lane making romantic visions of grandeur. In 1973, he linked up with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, a 40-piece orchestral band. The group's biggest hit was 1973's "Love's Theme."

White continued making hits until his health started to deteriorate by the 21st century. He'd long been struggling with weight problems, and the related health problems was catching up with him. He past away in July 4, 2003, a little over a month after he suffered a severe stroke. Twelve years later, the legend lives on.