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source: wikipedia.org
22 Jan, 1931
11 Dec, 1964
He was shot dead.
American
Singer
33
Sam Cooke is an American singer who is widely considered one of the founders of soul music. He was one of the most influential singers of his time. He once had 30 of the top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964.
Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before moving to Chicago with his family when he was two years old. He started his musical career as a child when he sang in the gospel group The Singing Children. Later, he joined the Soul Stirrers, one of the most popular gospel groups of all time. He developed a distinctive vocal style which helped him amass a lot of fans.
Cooke signed with Specialty Records in 1956. Although his label specialized in gospel music, he wanted to pursue a career in secular music and recorded his first pop song “Lovable” under the pseudonym Dale Cooke. He left the Soul Stirrers and Specialty Records a year later and signed with Keen Records, where he recorded his first major hit “You Send Me,” which sold over two million copies and reached the number one position on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts.
Sam Cooke started his own label called SAR Records in 1961, which gave him more creative control while allowing him to promote other artists. He also signed with RCA Victor, a major label that helped introduce him to the mainstream audience.
Sam Cooke was also a major supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, and his song “A Change is Gonna Come” became an anthem for the movement.
Cooke’s life and career were cut short in 1964 when he was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin, the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. The circumstances surrounding his death remain an unsolved mystery to this day. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Male
He was shot dead.
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Executive: Sam Cooke has a strong sense of tradition but he isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes is right.
Cooke once canceled a show because he was informed that the audience had been segregated with one of of the three balconies reserved for black people.
Cooke was an avid reader who would bury himself in books or magazines whenever he had the chance.
Sam Cooke added the letter “e” to his family name because he believed an even number of letters would bring him good luck.
Cooke wasn’t afraid to take his nieces and nephews to amusement parks that catered to white people.
He received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
He was inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Cooke was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.