Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke (1931–1964) was an American singer and songwriter who helped shape soul music.
His smooth vocal style bridged gospel and pop, producing hits like "You Send Me," "A Change Is Gonna Come," and "Cupid." He was among the first Black artists to found his own record label.
Cooke died at 33 under disputed circumstances in a Los Angeles motel shooting.
Postwar Black popular music
- MotownDetroit's soulful moniker
- croonerSoft-voiced romantic vocalist
- vocalsSung musical parts
- falsettoArtificially elevated singing register
vibrato · ballad · groove · melody · harmony · singer-songwriter · Cupid
Early explorer or settler
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- Hall of FameInstitution honoring distinguished achievers
- timelessUnaffected by eras
classic · innovator · influence · charismatic · hitmaker · virtuoso · genius · crossover
Organized group of singers
- spiritualsEnslaved people's sacred songs
- hymnsReligious songs of worship
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
congregation · testimony · faith · sacred · devotion · quartet · lead singer · sacred music
Discharging a weapon
- 1964Mid-sixties year
- Los AngelesSouthern California metropolis
- controversyProlonged public disagreement
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
mourning · grief · eulogy · tribute · tragedy · December · thirty-three · investigation
rhythm and blues
Postwar Black popular music
falsetto · vibrato · ballad · groove · melody · harmony · singer-songwriter · Cupid
pioneer
Early explorer or settler
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- Hall of FameInstitution honoring distinguished achievers
timeless · classic · innovator · influence · charismatic · hitmaker · virtuoso · genius · crossover · civil rights
choir
Organized group of singers
- spiritualsEnslaved people's sacred songs
- hymnsReligious songs of worship
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
worship · congregation · testimony · faith · sacred · devotion · quartet · lead singer · sacred music · church
shooting
Discharging a weapon
- 1964Mid-sixties year
- Los AngelesSouthern California metropolis
- controversyProlonged public disagreement
mystery · mourning · grief · eulogy · tribute · tragedy · December · thirty-three · investigation
- R&BMichael Jackson, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder
- Chicagothe Loop, Chicago, Chicago River, Lake Michigan, Wrigley Field
- Southern IconsElvis Presley, William Faulkner, Martin Luther King Jr., Tennessee Williams, Rosa Parks
- Black ChicagoSouth Side, Great Migration, Ida B. Wells, Black Belt
- gospel musicgospel hymns, gospel quartet, mass choir, praise songs, gospel choir
- Memphis MusicMemphis, Beale Street, Sun Records, Sun Studio, Graceland
Sam CookePat Boone
Perry Como · Bing Crosby · easy listening · Wayne Newton · Frank Sinatra