Sam Cooke

Description: (Singer-songwriter)

Samuel Cook or Sam Cooke (as he was professionally known) was one of the greatest American singers. He was also a song writer, recording artist, and entrepreneur. He is famously remembered as the ‘King of Soul’ for his contribution to popular music. He was even credited as ‘the inventor of soul music’ by ‘All Music’ biographer Bruce Eder. He created a connection between soul and pop music, and boasted of a range of works that entertained audience belonging to varied ethnicities and cultures. He influenced other popular musicians like Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and James Brown. He delivered around 30 hits in eight years. Even after his death, three of his posthumously released songs became immensely popular. Some of his hit songs are ‘Chain Gang,’ ‘You Send Me,’ ‘Cupid,’ ‘A Change Is Gonna Come,’ ‘Wonderful World,’ and ‘Twistin' the Night Away.’ He was one of the earliest musicians to explore the business prospect of a musical career and launched his own record label and publishing company. He also actively participated in the ‘Civil Rights Movement.’ He died at a young age of 33; there was a lot of speculation surrounding the circumstances of his death.

Overview

Birthday January 22, 1931 (Aquarius)
Born In United States
Alternative names Samuel Cook
Height 178 cm
Died on December 11, 1964
Spouse/Ex- Barbara Campbell (m. 1959–1964), Dolores Mohawk (m. 1953–1957)
Parents Charles Cook
Annie Mae Cook
Children Linda Womack, Tracey Cooke, Vincent Cooke
Relatives Agnes Cook, Charles Cook Jr., David Cook, Hattie Cook, L.C. Cooke, Mary Cook, Willie Cook

Did you know

What impact did Sam Cooke have on the music industry? Sam Cooke is credited with pioneering and popularizing soul music, and he was a major influence on many artists who followed him.
How did Sam Cooke die? Sam Cooke died in 1964, at the age of 33, from a gunshot wound under controversial circumstances.
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