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Sam Cooke



 
 
Samuel Cook, better known as Sam Cooke, (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, R&B, soul
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
, and pop
Popular music

Popular music is music that is accessible to the mainstream and disseminated by one or more of the mass media. It belongs to any of a number of musical genres, and stands in contrast to classical music, which historically was the music of the elite and upper strata of society, and traditional music which was disseminated orally....
 singer, songwriter
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
, and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of an organization, or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome....
. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
.

Cooke had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1965. Major hits like "You Send Me
You Send Me

"You Send Me" is a 1957 in music single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song was his first secular single released through Keen Records, an imprint of RCA Victor Records....
", "A Change Is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)

"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964....
", "Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)

"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960 in music, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
", "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (song)

"Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
", and "Bring It on Home to Me
Bring It On Home to Me

"Bring It On Home to Me" is a 1961 in music soul song written and recorded by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song, about infidelity, was a hit for Cooke and has become a pop standard Cover version by numerous artists of different genres....
" are some of his most popular songs. Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career.






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Encyclopedia


Samuel Cook, better known as Sam Cooke, (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, R&B, soul
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
, and pop
Popular music

Popular music is music that is accessible to the mainstream and disseminated by one or more of the mass media. It belongs to any of a number of musical genres, and stands in contrast to classical music, which historically was the music of the elite and upper strata of society, and traditional music which was disseminated orally....
 singer, songwriter
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
, and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of an organization, or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome....
. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
.

Cooke had 29 Top 40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1965. Major hits like "You Send Me
You Send Me

"You Send Me" is a 1957 in music single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song was his first secular single released through Keen Records, an imprint of RCA Victor Records....
", "A Change Is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)

"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964....
", "Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)

"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960 in music, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
", "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (song)

"Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
", and "Bring It on Home to Me
Bring It On Home to Me

"Bring It On Home to Me" is a 1961 in music soul song written and recorded by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song, about infidelity, was a hit for Cooke and has become a pop standard Cover version by numerous artists of different genres....
" are some of his most popular songs. Cooke 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
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)

The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racism against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states....
.

Biography


Early life and career

Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi

Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi....
. He added an "e" onto the end of his name, though the reason for this is disputed. He was one of seven children of Annie Mae and the Reverend Charles Cook, a Baptist
Baptist

A Baptist is a member of a Christian denomination characterized by the rejection of infant baptism in favor of believer's baptism by Baptism#Immersion....
 minister. The family moved to Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 in 1933.

Cooke began his career singing gospel
Gospel

In Christianity, a gospel is generally one of the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus....
 with his siblings in a group called The Singing Children; later, they changed the name to the Highway QC's. In 1950, a 19-year-old Cooke replaced gospel tenor, R.H. Harris
R.H. Harris

Rebert H. Harris was a gospel singer. In his work with the Soul Stirrers, he was instrumental in transforming the ensemble jubilee quartet style of the 30s into the lead-focused hard gospel style of the 40s and 50s....
, as lead singer of the landmark gospel group The Soul Stirrers
The Soul Stirrers

One of the most popular and influential gospel music groups of the 20th century, the Soul Stirrers were pioneers in the development of the quartet style of gospel and, without intending it, in the creation of soul music, the secular music that owed much to gospel....
. Under Cooke's leadership, the group signed with Specialty Records
Specialty Records

Specialty Records was an United States record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946 in music, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners....
 and recorded the hits "Peace in the Valley," "How Far Am I From Canaan?," "Jesus Paid the Debt," and "One More River." Cooke's emotive singing later inspired a generation of gospel-emulated pop performers in the years to come.

Crossover pop success

His first pop single, "Lovable" (1956), was released under the alias
Pseudonym

A pseudonym, , is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name. In some cases, pseudonyms are adopted because it is part of a cultural or organizational tradition, as in the case of Religious names used by members of some religious orders and "cadre names" used by Communist party leaders such as Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin....
 of "Dale Cooke" in order not to alienate his gospel fan base (he sang with The Soul Stirrers
The Soul Stirrers

One of the most popular and influential gospel music groups of the 20th century, the Soul Stirrers were pioneers in the development of the quartet style of gospel and, without intending it, in the creation of soul music, the secular music that owed much to gospel....
 until 1957); there was a considerable taboo against gospel singers performing secular music. However, the alias failed to hide Cooke's unique and distinctive vocals. No one was fooled. Art Rupe
Art Rupe

Arthur N. Rupe started Specialty Records in Los Angeles in 1946. Specialty is noted for the rhythm & blues, blues, gospel and early rock & roll music recordings....
, head of Specialty Records
Specialty Records

Specialty Records was an United States record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946 in music, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners....
, the label of The Soul Stirrers, gave his blessing for Cooke to record secular music under his real name, but he was unhappy about the type of music Cooke and producer Bumps Blackwell were making. Rupe expected Cooke's secular music to be similar to that of another Specialty Records
Specialty Records

Specialty Records was an United States record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946 in music, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners....
 artist, Little Richard
Little Richard

Rev. Richard Wayne Penniman , better known by the stage name Little Richard, is anAmerican singer, songwriter and pianist. He is considered a key figure in the transition from Rhythm and blues to Rock and roll in the 1950s....
. When Rupe walked in on a recording session and heard Cooke covering Gershwin, he was quite upset. After an argument between Rupe and Blackwell, Cooke and Blackwell left the label.

In 1957, Cooke signed with Keen Records. His first release was "You Send Me
You Send Me

"You Send Me" is a 1957 in music single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song was his first secular single released through Keen Records, an imprint of RCA Victor Records....
", the B-side of his first Keen single (the A-side was a reworking of George Gershwin's "Summertime
Summertime (song)

"Summertime" is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin....
") which spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song also had mainstream success, spending three weeks at #1 on the Billboard pop
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 chart.

In 1961, Cooke started his own record label, SAR Records
SAR Records

SAR Records was a record company founded by soul music legend Sam Cooke in 1959 in music. The meaning of "SAR" has been disputed; it has been listed as "Sam & Alex Records" and also as "Sam, Alex, & Roy Records" ....
, with J.W. Alexander and his manager, Roy Crain. The label soon included The Simms Twins, The Valentinos, Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack

Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40 years and has spanned a repertoire in the style...
, and Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Taylor

Johnnie Harrison Taylor was an United States singer in a wide variety of genres, from Gospel music, blues and soul music to pop music, doo-wop and disco....
. Cooke then created a publishing imprint and management firm, then left Keen to sign with RCA Victor. One of his first RCA singles was the hit "Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)

"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960 in music, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
." It reached #2 on the Billboard pop chart. This was followed by more hits, including "Sad Mood," "Bring it on Home to Me
Bring It On Home to Me

"Bring It On Home to Me" is a 1961 in music soul song written and recorded by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song, about infidelity, was a hit for Cooke and has become a pop standard Cover version by numerous artists of different genres....
" (with Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls

Louis Allen Rawls was an United States soul music, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"....
 on backing vocals), "Another Saturday Night
Another Saturday Night

"Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B and UK #23.In 1974, a Cat Stevens cover version reached #6....
", and "Twistin' the Night Away."

Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had 29 top-40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B charts. In spite of this, he released a well received blues-inflected LP in 1963, Night Beat
Night Beat

Night Beat is an album by Sam Cooke, released in 1963 on RCA Records. The album is often considered one of Cooke's best, and also one of the best soul music albums of the period....
, and his most critically-acclaimed studio album Ain't That Good News
Ain't That Good News (album)

Ain't That Good News is a studio album by United States Rhythm and blues and soul music singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released March 1, 1964, on RCA Records, in both monaural and stereo, LPM 2899 and LSP 2899....
, which featured five singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
, in 1964.

Death

Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964 at the Hacienda Motel at 9137 South Figueroa in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
, which has since been torn down. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had threatened her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment/office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled to be a justifiable homicide
Justifiable homicide

The United States' concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law stands on the dividing line between an excuse, Justification and an exculpation....
. Cooke was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
Glendale, California

Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. It lies at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, is bisected by the Verdugo Mountains, and is a suburb in the Greater Los Angeles Area....
.

Some posthumous releases followed, many of which became hits, including "A Change Is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)

"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964....
", an early protest song
Protest song

A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre....
 that is generally regarded as his greatest composition. After Cooke's death, his widow, Barbara, married Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack

Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40 years and has spanned a repertoire in the style...
. Cooke's daughter, Linda
Linda Womack

Linda Womack , also known as Zeriiya Zekkariyas, is an American singer and songwriter.Womack is the daughter of Sam Cooke, and with her husband Cecil Womack has had a successful recording career under the name Womack & Womack....
, later married Bobby's brother, Cecil
Cecil Womack

Cecil D. Womack is one of the famous musical Womack brothers. Although lesser known than his elder brother Bobby Womack, he has had some success both as a songwriter and musician....
.

Controversy

The details of the case involving Cooke's death are still in dispute. The official police record states that Cooke was shot dead by Bertha Franklin, the manager of the Hacienda Motel, where Cooke had checked in earlier that evening. Franklin claimed that Cooke had broken into the manager's office/apartment in a rage, wearing nothing but a shoe and a sports coat (with nothing beneath it) demanding to know the whereabouts of a woman who had accompanied him to the hotel. Franklin said that the woman was not in the office and that she told Cooke this, but the enraged Cooke did not believe her and violently grabbed her, demanding again to know the woman's whereabouts. According to Franklin, she grappled with Cooke, the two of them fell to the floor, and she then got up and ran to retrieve her gun. She said that she then fired at Cooke in self-defense
Self-defense

Self-defense is the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. While the term may define any form of personal defense, it is strongly associated with civilian hand-to-hand defense techniques....
, because she feared for her life. Cooke was struck once in the torso
Torso

Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk....
, and according to Franklin, he exclaimed, "Lady, you shot me," before mounting a last charge at her. She said that she beat him over his head with a broomstick before he finally fell, mortally wounded by the gunshot.

According to Franklin and to the motel's owner, Evelyn Carr, they had been on the phone together at the time of the incident. Thus, Carr claimed to have overheard Cooke's intrusion and the ensuing conflict and gunshots. Carr called the police to request that they go to the motel, informing them that she believed a shooting had occurred.

A coroner's
Coroner

A coroner or forensics examiner is an official responsible for investigating deaths, particularly some of those happening under unusual circumstances, and determining the cause of death....
 inquest
Inquest

Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"....
 was convened to investigate the incident. The woman who had accompanied Cooke to the motel was identified as Elisa Boyer, who had also called the police that night shortly before Carr did. Boyer had called the police from a phone booth near the motel, telling them she had just escaped from being kidnapped.

Boyer told the police that she had first met Cooke earlier that night and had spent the evening in his company. She claimed that after they left a local nightclub together, she had repeatedly requested that he take her home, but that he instead took her against her will to the Hacienda Motel. She claimed that once in one of the motel's rooms, Cooke physically forced her onto the bed and that she was certain he was going to rape
Rape

Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
 her. According to Boyer, when Cooke stepped into the bathroom for a moment, she quickly grabbed her clothes and ran from the room. She claimed that in her haste, she had also scooped up most of Cooke's clothing by mistake. She said that she ran first to the manager's office and knocked on the door seeking help. However, she said that the manager took too long in responding, so, fearing Cooke would soon be coming after her, she fled the motel altogether before the manager ever opened the door. She claimed she then put her own clothing back on, stashed Cooke's clothing away and went to the phone booth from which she called the police.

Boyer's story is the only account of what happened between the two that night. However, her story has long been called into question. Inconsistencies between her version of events and details reported by other witnesses, as well as circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence

Circumstantial evidence is a collection of facts that, when considered together, can be used to inference a conclusion about something unknown. Circumstantial evidence is usually a theory, supported by a significant quantity of corroborating evidence....
 (e.g., cash that Cooke was reportedly carrying was never recovered, and Boyer was soon after arrested for prostitution
Prostitution

The word prostitution is used to indicate:1. The exposing or otherwise offering oneself or someone else with the purpose of tempting potential customers to exchange money or goods for the promise of cooperativeness in sexual intercourse from the exposed person;...
), invited speculation that Boyer may have gone willingly to the motel with Cooke and then slipped out of the room with Cooke's clothing in order to rob him, rather than to escape an attempted rape
Rape

Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent....
.

Ultimately, such questions were deemed to be beyond the scope of the inquest, whose purpose was to establish the circumstances of Franklin's role in the shooting, not to determine exactly what had happened between Cooke and Boyer preceding that. Boyer's leaving the motel room with almost all of Cooke's clothing, regardless of exactly why she did so, combined with the fact that tests showed Cooke was inebriated at the time, provided what inquest jurors deemed a plausible explanation
Explanation

An explanation is a set of Statement_ constructed to description a set of facts which clarifies the causalitys, wiktionary:context, and consequences...
 for Cooke's bizarre behavior and state of dress, as reported by Franklin and Carr. This explanation, together with the fact that Carr's testimony corroborated
Corroborating evidence

Corroborating evidence is evidence that tends to support a proposition that is already supported by some evidence. For example, W, a witness, testifies that she saw X drive his automobile into a green car....
 Franklin's version of events, and the fact that police officials testified that both Boyer and Franklin had passed lie detector
Polygraph

A polygraph is an instrument that measures and records several physiological responses such as blood pressure, pulse, Respiration breathing rhythms body temperature and Galvanic skin response while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions, on the theory that false answers will produce distinctive measurements....
 tests, was enough to convince the coroner's jury
Coroner's jury

A coroner's jury is a body convened to assist a coroner in an inquest, that is, in determining the identity of a deceased person and the cause of death....
 to accept Franklin's explanation that it was a case of justifiable homicide. With that verdict, authorities officially closed the case on Cooke's death.

However, some of Cooke's family and supporters have rejected not only Boyer's version of events but also Franklin's and Carr's. They believe that there was a conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)

In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between natural persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement....
 to murder Cooke and that the murder took place in some manner entirely different from Franklin, Boyer, and Carr's official accounts. In her autobiography, Rage to Survive, singer Etta James
Etta James

Etta James is an American blues, soul music, rhythm and blues, rock & roll, gospel and jazz singer and songwriter. James is the winner of four Grammys and seventeen Blues Music Awards....
 claimed that she viewed Cooke's body in the funeral home and that the injuries she observed were well beyond what could be explained by the official account of Franklin alone having fought with Cooke. James described Cooke as having been so badly beaten that his head was nearly separated from his shoulders, his hands were broken and crushed, and his nose was mangled.

Nevertheless, no solid, reviewable evidence
Evidence (law)

The law of evidence governs the use of testimony and exhibit s or other documentary material which is admissible in a dispute resolution ....
 supporting a conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory

A conspiracy theory alleges a coordinated group is, or was, secretly working to commit illegal or wrongful actions, including attempting to hide the existence of the group and its activities....
 has been presented to date.

Legacy and cultural impact

The song "A Change Is Gonna Come
A Change Is Gonna Come (song)

"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964....
" was played upon the death of Malcolm X, and was memorably featured in Spike Lee
Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated United States film director, Film producer, screenwriter, and actor, noted for his films dealing with controversial Society and Politics issues....
's film Malcolm X
Malcolm X (film)

Malcolm X is a 1992 in film biographical film directed by Spike Lee about the African American activist and black nationalist Malcolm X. The story is based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley....
. Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the List of Presidents of the United States and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office....
's presidential victory speech paraphrased the song: "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

Rapper Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur

Tupac Amaru Shakur , also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American Rapping. In addition to his status as a top-selling recording artist, Shakur was a promising actor and a social activist....
 references Cooke in a line of the song "Thugz Mansion
Thugz Mansion

"Thugz Mansion" is a song by Tupac Shakur, released as a List of works published posthumously single with two known popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz....
", and Nas
Nas

Nasir Jones, , , better known by his stage name Nas, , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapping and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge, Queens housing projects in New York City....
 references him in the song "We Major" with Kanye West
Kanye West

Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, record producer and singer. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008....
. The Roots
The Roots

The Roots is a Grammy award-winning United States hip hop music band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals....
 song "Stay Cool" suggests, "I got the soul of a young Sam Cooke". Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty

Mike Doughty is an American singer and songwriter. He led the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s; in the 2000s he became a solo artist. His most famous songs include "Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well" and "I Hear the Bells," both of which gained prominence from being featured on popular television shows....
's song "Sweet Lord in Heaven" evokes the memory of Cooke, as does the Wallflowers 2000 song "Sleepwalker": "Cupid don't draw back your bow, Sam Cooke didn't know what I know". The Irish rock-group Jetplane Landing
Jetplane Landing

Jetplane Landing is a four piece band from Derry and London . They comprise Andrew Ferris , Jamie Burchell , Cahir O?Doherty and Raife Burchell ....
 have a song named "Sam Cooke".

A fictional version of Cooke (portrayed by Paul Mooney) appeared briefly in the 1978 film, The Buddy Holly Story
The Buddy Holly Story

| name = The Buddy Holly Story| image = Buddy_holly_story_cover.jpg| image_size =| caption= The Buddy Holly Story DVD cover...
, leaving the stage at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with African-American performers....
 before Buddy and The Crickets
The Crickets

The Crickets were a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s.Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day," released in 1957....
 got on. After being featured prominently in the 1985 film Witness
Witness (1985 film)

Witness is a 1985 in film Cinema of the United States thriller film released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis and Lukas Haas....
, the song "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (song)

"Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
" gained further exposure. "Wonderful World" was featured in one of two concurrently running Levi's Jeans commercials in 1985 and became a hit in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 because of this, reaching #2 in re-release. Other notable movies that featured his music are Animal House ("Wonderful World" and "Twistin' the Night Away
Twistin' the Night Away

"Twistin' the Night Away" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. The song was released as a single in 1962 in music and became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B chart , as well as the UK Singles Chart ....
"), American Werewolf in London, and Cadence
Cadence (film)

Cadence is a 1990 in film film directed by Martin Sheen, in which Charlie Sheen plays an inmate in a United States Army stockade in West Germany during the 1960s....
 ("Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)

"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960 in music, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
").

Cooke's songs "Bring It on Home to Me" and "Change is Gonna Come" were both featured in the movie Ali
Ali (film)

Ali is a 2001 in film Cinema of the United States biographical film directed by Michael Mann . The film tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali from 1964 to 1974 featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Fraz...
. The opening scene of the movie consisted of a live reenactment of "Bring It on Home to Me".

Posthumous honors

  • Shortly following his passing, Motown Records
    Motown Records

    Motown Records is a record label originally based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960....
     released We Remember Sam Cooke
    We Remember Sam Cooke

    We Remember Sam Cooke is an album recorded by The Supremes, issued by Motown Records in April 1965 . The album is a tribute album dedicated to soul musician Sam Cooke, who had died the previous December....
    , a collection of Cooke covers recorded by The Supremes
    The Supremes

    The Supremes, an American girl group, were one of the signature acts on Motown Records during the 1960s. Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop music, soul music, Broadway theatre show tunes, psychedelic soul and disco....
    .
  • In 1986, Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music industry, particularly in the are...
    .
  • In 1999, Cooke was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
    Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

    The Grammy Award Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording" ....
    , and in 2004 Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone

    Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
     magazine ranked him #16 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
  • In 2008, Cooke was named the fourth "Greatest Singer of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine."


Covers

  • John Lennon
    John Lennon

    John Winston Ono Lennon, Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles....
     included a medley of two Cooke songs, "Bring It On Home to Me" and "Send Me Some Lovin'," on his 1975 oldies album, Rock 'n' Roll
    Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)

    Rock 'n' Roll is a 1975 album of late 1950s and early 1960s-era rock songs covered by John Lennon. The recording of the album spanned a year and its dramatic sessions have since entered into rock music folklore....
    .
  • Cooke's songs are covered in a tour-available EP
    Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke

    Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke is the tour-only EP by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists. It is the third in a series of EPs featuring covers of influential artists, which includes works of Morrissey and Shirley Collins ....
     from Decemberists frontman, Colin Meloy. It is the third installment of his solo-tour Colin Meloy Sings...!
  • Johnny Nash
    Johnny Nash

    Johnny Nash is an African-American popular music singer-songwriter, best known for his unexpected 1972 comeback chart-topper, "I Can See Clearly Now"....
     covered the song "Cupid
    Cupid (Sam Cooke song)

    Cupid is a 1961 hit single recorded and written by Sam Cooke. The song is ranked #452 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
    " in 1969 with chart success in the US and UK, and it was included as the B-side on some versions of his 1972 hit single I Can See Clearly Now
    I Can See Clearly Now

    "I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by Johnny Nash. It was a single from the album of the same name and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972....
    .
  • The Animals
    The Animals

    The Animals were an England music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. Known for their gritty, bluesy sound and deep-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their signature songs "The House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", the band balanced tough, rock music-edged pop mu...
     covered the song "Bring It On Home To Me" in 1965.
  • Amy Winehouse
    Amy Winehouse

    Amy Jade Winehouse is an England singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including soul music, jazz, rock & roll, ska and rhythm and blues....
     also covered the song "Cupid
    Cupid (Sam Cooke song)

    Cupid is a 1961 hit single recorded and written by Sam Cooke. The song is ranked #452 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
    " for the BBC Radio 1
    BBC Radio 1

    BBC Radio 1 is a United Kingdom international radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in current popular music throughout the day, with a slight bias to Rock music & Independent music music....
     album Radio 1 Established 1967
    Radio 1 Established 1967

    The compilation album Radio 1 Established 1967 is a collection of covers especially recorded for Radio 1 by a number of artists. The album celebrates the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1....
    .
  • British soul singer Adele
    Adele (singer)

    Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele , is an English rhythm and blues and soul music singer and songwriter. Adele has described her musical style as "heartbroken soul." She is the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice, which was given to artists who, at the time, had yet to release an album....
     covered the song "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" as B-side to her single "Chasing Pavements
    Chasing Pavements

    "Chasing Pavements" is the second single from soul music singer Adele . Adele performed the song on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on December 7, 2007....
    " a bonus track for the Asian release of her studio album 19
    19 (Adele album)

    19 is Adele debut album. It was released on 28 January 2008, the week after the lead single, "Chasing Pavements", was physically released. It debuted at number one on the UK charts on its first week....
    .
  • Richard Marx
    Richard Marx

    Richard Noel Marx is an adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever ", and "Hazard "....
     covered "Bring It On Home To Me" and "Wonderful World
    Wonderful World (song)

    "Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
    " during his earlier concerts.
  • "A Change Is Gonna Come" has been covered several times. Solo
    Solo (group)

    Solo is an American rhythm and blues / Soul music musical group.Eunique Mack, Darnell Chavis and Danielle Stokes performed on the streets of New York in the early 1990s....
    , Aretha Franklin
    Aretha Franklin

    Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock and roll, blues, Pop music, Rhythm and Blues and Gospel music....
    , Tina Turner
    Tina Turner

    Tina Turner is an United States singer and actress whose career has spanned over 50 years and who has won numerous awards. Her achievements in the Rock genre have led to her being referred to as "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll"....
    , The Fifth Dimension
    The Fifth Dimension

    The Fifth Dimension, also known as The 5th Dimension, is a multiple Grammy-winning United States popular music vocal group, whose repertoire also includes pop, Rhythm and blues, Soul music, and jazz....
    , The Neville Brothers
    The Neville Brothers

    The Neville Brothers, an R&B, Soul music and Jazz group, was formed in 1976 in New Orleans, LA....
    , Otis Redding
    Otis Redding

    Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an United States soul music singer. He is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of Gospel musi...
    , The Fugees
    The Fugees

    The Fugees were a critically-acclaimed New Jersey hip hop music group that rose to fame in the mid-1990s, whose repertoire included elements of soul music and Caribbean music, particularly reggae....
    , Cold War Kids
    Cold War Kids

    Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from Fullerton, California, California. Band members are Nathan Willett , Jonnie Russell , Matt Maust , and Matt Aveiro ....
    , Seal
    Seal (musician)

    Seal Henry Olusegun Kwassi Olumide Adelo Samuel is a British Soul music singer and songwriter. His name Olusegun means "God is victorious"....
    , Bill Frisell
    Bill Frisell

    William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an United States guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late '80s Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise music and more....
    , and The Band
    The Band

    The Band was a rock music group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999. The original group consisted of four Canadians: Robbie Robertson ; Richard Manuel ; Garth Hudson ; and Rick Danko , and one American, Levon Helm ....
     featuring the vocals of Rick Danko
    Rick Danko

    Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canada musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band....
     have all recorded versions of the song. Seal's version debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (Billboard, Nov. 2008) shortly after the election of Obama-Biden.
  • Gene Vincent
    Gene Vincent

    Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and, especially, rockabilly....
    , who was a big fan and a close personal friend of Sam Cooke's, recorded "Another Saturday Night
    Another Saturday Night

    "Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B and UK #23.In 1974, a Cat Stevens cover version reached #6....
    " in 1964 and "Bring It On Home to Me" shortly before his own death in 1971.
  • Cat Stevens
    Cat Stevens

    Yusuf Islam , best known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a Great Britain musician of Greek Cypriot and Sweden ancestry. He is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist and prominent Religious conversion to Islam....
     released his Greatest Hits
    Greatest Hits (Cat Stevens album)

    Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Cat Stevens, released in 1975. Though comprised mostly of tracks from his five previous studio albums, Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits did contain one new song, "Two Fine People", which was also released as a single in 1975....
     album (1975) with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night
    Another Saturday Night

    "Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B and UK #23.In 1974, a Cat Stevens cover version reached #6....
    ", only the second song he released that he didn't write himself. He had also released it as a single (July 12, 1974) which reached No.4 in the U.S.
  • Cooke was an influence on punk
    Punk rock

    Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
     vocalist Mia Zapata
    Mia Zapata

    Mia Katherine Zapata was the lead singer for the Seattle Punk rock band The Gits.Zapata is cited as a major influence by fellow Seattle punk band 7 Year Bitch, singer Cinder Block of hardcore punk bands Tilt and Retching Red, Andrea Zollo of indie rock band Pretty Girls Make Graves and Brody Dalle of the punk band The Distillers....
     of The Gits
    The Gits

    The Gits were an American punk band, formed in in 1986. Known for their part in the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the early 1990s, their distinct punk rock sound gained a reputation for its uncompromising vision and bluesy street punk aesthetic....
    , who honored him with a cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come" on their album Enter: The Conquering Chicken
    Enter: The Conquering Chicken

    Enter: The Conquering Chicken was The Gits' second full-length album, recorded in 1993 and released posthumously in 1994 on C/Z Records. Lead singer and songwriter Mia Zapata was raped and strangled to death in July, 1993 during production of this record....
    .
  • In spring 1965 the British group Herman's Hermits
    Herman's Hermits

    Herman's Hermits were an England pop band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as 'Herman & The Hermits'. The group's management and producer Mickie Most emphasized a simple, non-threatening and clean-cut image, although the band originally played Rhythm and blues numbers ....
     reached no. 5 in the US charts and no.7 in the UK charts with their version of "Wonderful World".
  • In 1978, Art Garfunkel
    Art Garfunkel

    Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an United States singer, poet and actor, best known as half of the Grammy Award winning folk music duo Simon & Garfunkel....
    , Paul Simon
    Paul Simon

    Paul Frederic Simon is an United States singer-songwriter and musician, perhaps best known for his partnership with Art Garfunkel in the duo Simon & Garfunkel....
    , and James Taylor
    James Taylor

    James Vernon Taylor is a Grammy Award winning United States singer-songwriter and guitarist born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Carrboro, North Carolina, North Carolina....
     sang "Wonderful World" which hit the Top 40 in the US charts.
  • In 1966, the now cult 60s British pop show Ready Steady Goes Live, the live version of Ready Steady Go!
    Ready Steady Go!

    Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the United Kingdom first rock/pop music TV programmes. RSG! was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion London TV, who wanted to try a music radio show....
    , devoted a whole programme to a live performance of Soul singer Otis Redding
    Otis Redding

    Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an United States soul music singer. He is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of Gospel musi...
    , who regularly covered many of Cooke's songs. One of the highlights was a rousing version of "Shake
    Shake (Sam Cooke song)

    Shake is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke .The song was also recorded by Eric Burdon and The Animals, Otis Redding, The Supremes , The Small Faces ...
    " on which Redding was joined by British Soul legends Eric Burdon
    Eric Burdon

    Eric Victor Burdon is best known as a founding member and singer of The Animals, a rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and his multi-racial project the Funk rock band War ....
    , lead singer of The Animals
    The Animals

    The Animals were an England music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. Known for their gritty, bluesy sound and deep-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their signature songs "The House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", the band balanced tough, rock music-edged pop mu...
    , and chart topper Chris Farlowe
    Chris Farlowe

    Chris Farlowe is a successful English people popular music, Rhythm and blues and soul music singer....
    .
  • Jimmy Buffett
    Jimmy Buffett

    James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his "island escapism" lifestyle and music including hits such as "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday." He has a devoted base of Fan known as "Parrotheads." His band is called the Coral Reefer Band....
     covered "Another Saturday Night" on his album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Menu, in 1993.
  • My Morning Jacket
    My Morning Jacket

    My Morning Jacket is a Grammy-nominated United States rock music band.The band comprises Jim James , "Two Tone Tommy" Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster ....
     covered the song "Bring It On Home To Me"


Discography


Albums

Year Title Chart positions
USUK
1957 Sam Cooke #16 
1962 The Best of Sam Cooke #22 
1963 Night Beat
Night Beat

Night Beat is an album by Sam Cooke, released in 1963 on RCA Records. The album is often considered one of Cooke's best, and also one of the best soul music albums of the period....
  
1964 Ain't That Good News
Ain't That Good News (album)

Ain't That Good News is a studio album by United States Rhythm and blues and soul music singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released March 1, 1964, on RCA Records, in both monaural and stereo, LPM 2899 and LSP 2899....
#34 
Sam Cooke at the Copa #29 
1986 The Man and His Music
The Man and His Music

The Man and His Music is a 1986 album by Sam Cooke, released Posthumous work....
  #8
2003 Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964
Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964

Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 is a collection of the work of soul music musician Sam Cooke, covering his early 1950s work with the Soul Stirrers to the posthumous 1964 single "Shake"....
  #30
2005 Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964
Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964

Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 is a collection of the work of soul music musician Sam Cooke, covering his early 1950s work with the Soul Stirrers to the posthumous 1964 single "Shake"....
 (re-issue)
  #19


Singles

Year Title Chart positions
USR&BUK
1957 "You Send Me
You Send Me

"You Send Me" is a 1957 in music single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song was his first secular single released through Keen Records, an imprint of RCA Victor Records....
"
#1 #1 #29
"I'll Come Running Back to You
I'll Come Running Back to You

I'll Come Running Back to You is a song recorded by Sam Cooke and released in 1957. It charted to #1 in the US R&B charts and #18 in the pop charts....
"
#18 #1 
1959 "Only Sixteen" #28 #13 #23
1960 "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (song)

"Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
"
#12 #2 #27
"Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)

"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960 in music, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
"
#2 #2 #9
1961 "Cupid
Cupid (Sam Cooke song)

Cupid is a 1961 hit single recorded and written by Sam Cooke. The song is ranked #452 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
"
#17 #20 #7
1962 "Twistin' the Night Away
Twistin' the Night Away

"Twistin' the Night Away" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. The song was released as a single in 1962 in music and became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B chart , as well as the UK Singles Chart ....
"
#9 #1 #6
1963 "Another Saturday Night
Another Saturday Night

"Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B and UK #23.In 1974, a Cat Stevens cover version reached #6....
"
#10 #1 #23
"Frankie and Johnny" #14 - #30
1965 "Shake
Shake (Sam Cooke song)

Shake is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke .The song was also recorded by Eric Burdon and The Animals, Otis Redding, The Supremes , The Small Faces ...
"
#7 #4 
1986 "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (song)

"Wonderful World" was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, although at first attributed to the pseudonym Barbara Campbell which was the maiden name of Cooke's mother, and first recorded by Cooke in 1959 in music for Cooke's self-titled debut album....
" (re-issue)
- - #2
"Another Saturday Night
Another Saturday Night

"Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 R&B and UK #23.In 1974, a Cat Stevens cover version reached #6....
" (re-issue)
- - #75


Further reading

  • Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick (2005) ISBN 0-316-37794-5
  • Our Uncle Sam-the Sam Cooke Story from His Family's Perspective: The Sam Cooke Story from His Family's Perspective by Erik Greene (2005) ISBN 1-412-06498-8
  • You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke by Daniel Wolff, S. R. Crain, Clifton White, and G. David Tenenbaum (1995) ISBN 0-688-12403-8


External links