Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, notable contributions to the genre and significance in popular music.
Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and later relocated to Chicago with his family at a young age, where he began singing as a child and joined the Soul Stirrers as lead singer in the 1950s. Going solo in 1957, Cooke released a string of hit songs, including "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Cupid", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "Good Times". During his eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Pop Singles chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top Ten of Billboard's Black Singles chart.
In 1964, Cooke was shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Los Angeles. After an inquest and investigation, the courts ruled Cooke's death to be a justifiable homicide. His family has since questioned the circumstances of his death.
Links to Peel[]
Peel played many of Sam Cooke's songs on his programmes, especially during the 80's and 90's. He also played some artists who covered some of Sam Cooke's songs.
Shows Played[]
- 18 June 1980: Soothe Me (7” EP – Another Saturday Night) RCA
- 19 June 1980: It's Got The Whole World Shakin' (EP) RCA re-issue
- 1984
- 18 February 1984 (BFBS): Chain Gang
- 1989
- 24 December 1989 (BBC Radio East Anglia): Must Jesus Bare The Cross Alone (album - In The Beginning) Ace
- 1990
- 02 January 1990: Must Jesus Bare The Cross Alone (album - In The Beginning) Ace
- 1994
- 05 March 1994: ‘Send Me Some Lovin' (LP - The Late And Great Sam Cooke)’ (RCA International)
- 09 September 1994: Last Mile Of The Way
- 2003
- 01 October 2003: You Send Me (7") RCA
Covered[]
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. It features only Sam Cooke's songs covered by other artists, Please add more information if known.)
Artist | Track | First Known Play
- Big Three: If You Ever Change Your Mind 24 January 2001
- Billy Bragg: A Change Is Gonna Come 08 June 1987
- Forty-Fives: Shake 09 September 2004
- Ted Hawkins: Bring It On Home To Me 22 September 1986
- Otis Redding: Change Gonna Come 01 March 1978
- Otis Redding: Wonderful World 24 January 1983
- Sugar Black & Lebanculeh: Change Gonna Come 20 September 1998 (BFBS)