Sam Cooke | Artist

Samuel "Sam" Cook was an American soul and R&B singer and songwriter born 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Considered one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, pioneering contributions to the genre, and significance in popular music. Cooke's contributions to soul music contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Billy Preston, and popularised the work of contemporaries Otis Redding and James Brown. Cooke relocated from Clarksdale to Chicago with his family at a young age, where he began singing as a child and joined the Soul Stirrers gospel group as lead singer in the 1950s. Going solo in 1957, he released a string of hit songs, including "You Send Me", "A Change is Gonna Come", "Cupid", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Bring it on Home to Me", and "Good Times". During his eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Pop Singles chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top Ten of Billboards Black Singles chart. Up until his untimely death in 1964, Cooke released 11 albums, including the outstanding Twistin' the Night Away (1962), Night Beat (1963), and Ain't That Good News (1964). He also released two excellent live albums which highlight the artist's talent as a nightclub performer: Sam Cooke at the Copa (1964) and Live at the Harlem Square Club 1963 (1985). In 1964 Cooke was shot and killed by the manager of the Hacienda motel in Los Angeles. After an inquest and investigation, the courts ruled Cooke's death, which occurred under questionable circumstances and was the subject of various conspiracy theories, to be a justifiable homicide. His family has since questioned the circumstances of his death. Less than three months after Cooke's death, his widow, Barbara, married his friend Bobby Womack. Cooke was also a central part of the civil rights movement, using his influence and popularity with the white and black populations to fight for the cause. He was friends with boxer Muhammad Ali, activist Malcolm X and football player Jim Brown, who together campaigned for racial equality.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Sam_Cooke

Featured Albums: Sam Cooke

Related Artists: The Soul Stirrers, Lou Rawls, Bobby Womack