Short answers, pulled from the story.
Sam Cooke was an American soul singer and songwriter born on the 22nd of January 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He is called the King of Soul for his distinctive tenor voice, his pioneering contributions to the genre, and his significance in shaping popular music from the mid-1950s through 1964.
Sam Cooke's major hits included "You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Cupid", "Wonderful World", "Another Saturday Night", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "A Change Is Gonna Come". He placed 29 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 during his career, plus three more posthumously.
Sam Cooke was shot and killed on the 11th of December 1964 at the Hacienda Motel at 91st and South Figueroa streets in South Central Los Angeles. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, shot him and claimed self-defense. A coroner's jury returned a verdict of justifiable homicide, though Cooke's family and friends have long disputed the official account.
Sam Cooke founded SAR Records in 1961 with J. W. Alexander and manager Roy Crain. The label signed the Simms Twins, the Valentinos (Bobby Womack and his brothers), Mel Carter, and Johnnie Taylor. He also created a publishing imprint and management firm called Kags.
Sam Cooke's vocal style influenced Otis Redding, James Brown, Rod Stewart, Johnny Nash, Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Mick Jagger, Al Green, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Steve Perry, and Stevie Wonder, among others. AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder described Cooke as "the inventor of soul music".
Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and inducted a second time in 1989 with the Soul Stirrers. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the 1st of February 1994 at 7051 Hollywood Boulevard and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Rolling Stone ranked him the sixteenth greatest artist of all time in 2004 and later the third greatest singer in 2023.