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Quick Facts
- NAME: Sam Cooke
- OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Singer
- BIRTH DATE: January 22, 1931
- DEATH DATE: December 11, 1964
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Clarksdale, Mississippi
- PLACE OF DEATH: Los Angeles, California
- Full Name: Samuel Cooke
Best Known For
Sam Cooke, commonly known as the King of Soul, was an African-American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer and songwriter. He had 29 top-40 hits from 1957-1964.
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Play NowSam Cooke. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:47, May 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129.
Sam Cooke. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129 [Accessed 18 May 2013].
"Sam Cooke." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 18 2013, 08:47 http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129.
"Sam Cooke," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129 [accessed May 18, 2013].
"Sam Cooke," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129 (accessed May 18, 2013).
Sam Cooke [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129.
Sam Cooke, http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129 (last visited May 18, 2013).
Sam Cooke. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129. Accessed May 18, 2013.
He reportedly clashed with the motel's manager, and the manager shot Cooke. Cooke died from his injury, which the manager claimed was inflicted in self-defense. It was later ruled justifiable homicide.
Thousands turned out to mourn the legendary singer. Ray Charles and Lou Rawls sang at his funeral in Los Angeles, and another service was held in his former hometown, Chicago. The year after his death,
Cooke's record company released his song "A Change Is Gonna Come." He wrote this civil rights anthem in response to Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind." It was perhaps his most pointedly political song.
No matter the circumstances of his passing, Cooke left behind a tremendous musical legacy. It only takes a listen to recordings of his live shows, such as his 1963 performance at Miami's Harlem Square Club, to recognize his contributions to soul music. And as a pop icon, Cooke has endured through his songs. Otis Redding and Al Green are among the artists who have covered his work. He was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 1986.
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