Sam Cooke

For other people named Sam Cooke, see Sam Cooke (disambiguation).

Sam Cooke
Cooke in 1963
Cooke in 1963
Background information
Birth nameSamuel Cook
Born(1931-01-22)January 22, 1931[1][2]
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 1964(1964-12-11) (aged 33)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.[3]
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1951–1964[4]
Labels

Samuel Cooke[5] (January 22, 1931[6]  – December 11, 1964)[5] was an American 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.[7] 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 Billboard's Black Singles chart. In 1964, he was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin, a motel owner in Los Angeles with a prior criminal record. Franklin was later convicted in 1979 when she was found guilty of second-degree murder following another similar shooting.[8] The courts at the time of Cooke's death ruled in favor of Franklin saying his death was a justifiable homicide.[9] His family as well as many fans from all over the world have since questioned the circumstances and lack of a proper investigation of his death. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht argued in 2017 that Cooke's death was not justifiable homicide.[10] Cooke is included on Billboard's 2015 list of the 35 greatest R&B artists of all time.[11][12]

  1. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues – A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 199. ISBN 978-0-313-34423-7.
  2. ^ Cooke's death certificate gives his year of birth as 1932 while his gravestone gives his year of birth as 1930. However, the Social Security Death Master File (number 329-26-4823) indicates 1931.
  3. ^ "Report – HPLA".
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference songsofsamcooke.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b David Ritz. "Sam Cooke". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  6. ^ Cooke's death certificate gives 1932 as his year of birth while his gravestone gives 1930 as his year of birth. Copy of death certificate available midway through scrolling down. However, the Social Security Death Master File (number 329-26-4823) indicates 1931.
  7. ^ Janovitz, Bill. "Cupid – Sam Cooke". AllMusic. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  8. ^ "Manager of motel shoots singing star". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 12, 1964. p. 10.
  9. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits: The Inside Story Behind Every Number One Single on Billboard's Hot 100 from 1955 to the Present. Billboard Books. p. 30. ISBN 0-8230-7677-6.
  10. ^ "Why Mystery Still Shrouds Singer Sam Cooke's Shooting Death Nearly 60 Years Later".
  11. ^ "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time". Billboard. November 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "What Really Happened to Sam Cooke That Night in 1964? - First Look". May 23, 2021.