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Sam Cooke

American singer and songwriter (1931–1964)

Samuel Cooke was an American soul singer and songwriter. 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.

During his thirteen-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top 10 of Billboard's Black Singles chart. In 1964, he was shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Los Angeles.

His family has since questioned the circumstances of his death. In 2015, Cooke was ranked number 28 in Billboard magazine's list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time" and number 3 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", behind only Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.

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Sam Cooke

what: one person
from: Clarksdale
born: 1931
until: 1964
on the air here: 0 songs
still after: 1 song

File card: Sam Cooke

real name: Samuel Cook

labels: Specialty

genres: rhythm and blues, soul, gospel music

influenced by: Steve Perry, James Baldwin

awards: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

plays: upright piano, voice

member of: The Soul Stirrers

Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.

soulgospelrhythm & bluesblack gospelbluesclassic soul

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Early life

Sam Cooke was born Samuel Cook in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1931 (he added the "e" to his last name in 1958 to signify a new start to his life). He was the fifth of eight children of Rev. Charles Cook, a Baptist minister, and the former Annie Mae Carroll. One of his younger brothers, L.C. (1932–2017), later became a member of the doo-wop band Johnny Keyes and the Magnificents. Cooke was raised Baptist.

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Early solo success

Prior to leaving the Soul Stirrers in 1956, Cooke recorded his first secular pop song, "Lovable", a remake of the gospel song "Wonderful", under the alias Dale Cook, in hopes of not getting discovered recording secular material because of the stigma against gospel singers performing pop music, which failed due to Cooke's instantly recognizable voice.

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Legacy

Cooke's contribution to soul music contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Preston, and popularized the work of Otis Redding and James Brown. AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder wrote that Cooke was "the inventor of soul music", and possessed "an incredible natural singing voice and a smooth, effortless delivery that has never been surpassed."

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Sam Cooke (born 22 January 1931, Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA - died December 11, 1964, Los Angeles, California, USA) was an American gospel/R&B/soul/pop singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. He is recognized as one of the founders of soul music and one of the most important singers in soul music history. Details about his death are still in dispute; official police records state he was killed by a gunshot. In 1961, he founded . The label folded after his death. Younger brother of (who co-wrote Chain Gang) and elder brother of . Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 (Performer). Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987. Also known as: A. Cooke, A.Cooke, B. Cooke, C. Cooke, Charles Lowell Cooke From Discogs (free to use). Their entry