Sam Cooke

SAM COOKE d1964. American gospel, R&B soul singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. Widely considered to be one of the great original pioneers and founders of soul music. Commonly known as The King of Soul for his unmatched vocal abilities, impact and influence on the modern world of music. His contribution within the soul music genre, led to the rise of Stevie Wonder / Marvin Gaye / Aretha Franklin and popularized the likes of Otis Redding and James Brown. Sam Cooke had an incredible 29 Top 40 hits in the US (between 1957-1964) including classics ; You Send Me / A Change is Gonna Come / Chain Gang / Wonderful World and Bring It On Home To Me. He was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label and a publishing company, as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the American Civil Rights Movement. On December 11th 1964, Sam Cooke was allegedly shot to death by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles California at the tender age of 33. At the time, the courts ruled that he was drunk and distressed and that the Motel-Manager killed him in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Since that time the overall circumstances concerning his death have been widely questioned ....