Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook arrived in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on the 22nd of January 1931. He was the fifth child born to Reverend Charles Cook and Annie Mae Carroll. The family moved north to Chicago during the year 1933. Young Samuel attended Doolittle Elementary School before entering Wendell Phillips Academy High School. Nat King Cole had walked these same halls a few years prior. At age six, he began singing with his siblings as part of the Singing Children group. By fourteen, he led the Highway Q.C.'s gospel ensemble. His neighbor Lou Rawls sang for a rival gospel choir nearby.
Art Rupe ran Specialty Records when Cooke joined The Soul Stirrers in 1950. Their first recording under his leadership appeared that same year titled Jesus Gave Me Water. A stigma existed against gospel singers performing secular music. Cooke released Lovable in 1956 using the alias Dale Cook. Art Rupe gave permission for Cooke to record secular tracks under his real name. Rupe disliked the style Cooke created with producer Bumps Blackwell. They left Specialty Records following an argument. Keen Records signed Cooke in 1957. You Send Me reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart for six weeks. It also topped the pop chart for three weeks. Weekly earnings jumped from two hundred dollars to over five thousand dollars.
Cooke possessed a pure tenor voice described as big and velvety. He could reach high C without losing volume or purity. His upper mid-range featured a unique rasp. Critics noted his pitch was remarkable throughout his career. He adopted classical sounds for jazz songs while keeping soulful holds on R&B tracks. Live performances often included improvisation of entire songs. He experimented with melodies and enunciation during concerts. Otis Redding and James Brown studied his vocal exploits closely. Rod Stewart and Tina Turner later cited him as an influence. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder also drew inspiration from his style.
Samuel Cooke founded SAR Records in 1961 alongside J.W. Alexander and Roy Crain. The label included acts like the Simms Twins and the Valentinos. Bobby Womack sang with the Valentinos group. He created Kags Music as a publishing imprint and management firm. Allen Klein managed Kags Music starting in 1963 under a five-year contract. A holding company named Tracey Ltd owned by Klein produced Cooke's recordings. RCA Victor received exclusive distribution rights in exchange for six percent royalty payments. Tax reasons dictated that Cooke receive preferred stock instead of cash advances. He received one hundred thousand dollars for the next two years plus seventy-five thousand for option years. This structure allowed him to own his master recordings through corporate entities.
Police found Sam Cooke dead at the Hacienda Motel on the 11th of December 1964. The location sat at 91st Street and South Figueroa Avenue in Los Angeles. Bertha Franklin claimed she shot him in self-defense after he forced entry into her office. Elisa Boyer had called police from a nearby telephone booth minutes before the shooting. Boyer stated Cooke drove her against her will to the motel. She said he stripped her to her panties and attempted to molest her. Franklin described grappling with Cooke until she retrieved a gun. She fired once into his torso while he fell to the floor. A coroner's jury accepted Franklin's account and ruled it justifiable homicide. Muhammad Ali questioned why the FBI did not investigate further.
Two hundred thousand fans lined up for four city blocks during Cooke's funeral service. The event took place at A.R. Leak Funeral Home in Chicago on the 18th of December 1964. Ray Charles performed Angels Keep Watching Over Me at the second service. Bertha Franklin sued the estate seeking two hundred thousand dollars in damages. Barbara Womack countersued for seven thousand dollars covering funeral expenses. Courts awarded Franklin thirty thousand dollars in 1967. Two singles and an album titled Shake appeared shortly after his death. You Send Me reached number one on both pop and R&B charts posthumously. A Change Is Gonna Come became a classic protest song of the era.
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Common questions
When and where was Sam Cooke born?
Samuel Cook arrived in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on the 22nd of January 1931. He was the fifth child born to Reverend Charles Cook and Annie Mae Carroll.
What records did Sam Cooke release under an alias before joining Keen Records?
Cooke released Lovable in 1956 using the alias Dale Cook while working at Specialty Records. Art Rupe gave permission for Cooke to record secular tracks under his real name after he left that label.
How many weeks did You Send Me stay at number one on the Billboard charts?
You Send Me reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart for six weeks. It also topped the pop chart for three weeks.
Who managed Kags Music starting in 1963?
Allen Klein managed Kags Music starting in 1963 under a five-year contract. A holding company named Tracey Ltd owned by Klein produced Cooke's recordings.
Where did police find Sam Cooke dead on the 11th of December 1964?
Police found Sam Cooke dead at the Hacienda Motel on the 11th of December 1964. The location sat at 91st Street and South Figueroa Avenue in Los Angeles.
When was Sam Cooke funeral service held and where did it take place?
The event took place at A.R. Leak Funeral Home in Chicago on the 18th of December 1964. Two hundred thousand fans lined up for four city blocks during the service.