Sam Cooke: The Pioneer of Soul Music

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.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

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.

Transition to Secular Music

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.

Entrepreneurship and Mainstream Success

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.

Contribution to the Civil Rights Movement

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.

Tragic Death and Legacy

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.