Sam Cooke

Full Name: Samuel Cook
Profession: Singer-Songwriter

Nationality:

Biography: Sam Cooke was a prolific cross-genre singer, starting in gospel music and later turning to pop and becoming a pioneer of soul music. He was also a songwriter and involved and invested in publishing, a rarity for artists of his era. He also used his popularity to advocate for civil rights.

Sam Cook was born into a preacher's family that relocated from the American south to Chicago when he was a child. He sang in the church and various gospel groups as a child, joining the nationally known Soul Stirrers group in 1951.

Seeking to expand his reach, and with the support of his family, he moved to popular music in 1957, adding the 'e' to his name as a sign of beginning a new direction in his career. He scored 29 top 40 hits between, with additional songs on the R&B charts. Memorable songs include "Cupid"; "You Send Me"; "Another Saturday Night": and "A Change Is Gonna Come".

He was killed by the night manager at a motel under chaotic and disputed circumstances, in South Central Los Angeles, California.

Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and again as a member of the Soul Stirrers in 1989. In 1987, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.

Born: January 22, 1931
Birthplace: Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Horse
Star Sign: Aquarius

Died: December 11, 1964 (aged 33)
Cause of Death: Gunshot (ruled justifiable homicide in self-defense)