Cooke, Sam (1931-1964), an African American singer, helped establish soul music as a popular style in music. Soul music is a blend of gospel, pop music, and the blues. Cooke’s clear pronunciation, high singing voice, and sophisticated stage presence greatly influenced male singers. Cooke was also one of the first black music executives. He owned his own record label, his own music publishing company, and his own management company.
Samuel Cooke was born on Jan. 22, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and grew up in Chicago. From 1950 to 1956, he was the lead singer for the Soul Stirrers, a gospel group. His first hit as a solo performer was “You Send Me” (1957), followed by such popular recordings as “I’ll Come Running Back to You” (1957), “Only Sixteen” and “Everybody Likes to Cha Cha” (both 1959), “Chain Gang” and “Wonderful World” (both 1960), “Sad Mood” (1961), “Twistin’ the Night Away” and “Bring It On Home to Me” (both 1962), “Another Saturday Night” (1963), and “Shake” and “A Change Is Gonna Come” (both released in 1965, after his death). Cooke wrote the lyrics for many of his hits.
Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel on Dec. 11, 1964. In 1986, he was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
