Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was one of the most important soul singers ever: he had a major hand in developing the style and was often being said to have possessed soul's most evocative voice.

The success of his music between 1957 and 1963 contributed to the increasing acceptance by white audiences of music by black performers, and so began to break down racial boundaries as the Civil Rights movement grew in strength. In particular, "You Send Me" was an R&B and pop No.1 in 1957, while "Chain Gang" reached No.2 on both charts in 1960. "Twistin' The Night Away" and "Another Saturday Night" were also big hits. His 1963 album Night Beat is considered one of the first great soul albums, and Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (not issued until 1985) is regularly nominated as one of the best live albums ever. His signature song is perhaps "A Change is Gonna Come", a moderately successful 1964 single that has since been recognised as one of the most poignant songs of the era.

Sam Cooke died in December 1963 in suspicious and unclear circumstances. He was shot dead in a motel in Los Angeles by the motel manager, who claimed he had assaulted her. Another woman said he had earlier attempted to rape her. However, doubt has often been cast on this series of events, and the integrity of the police investigation has been questioned. Cooke's progress in the charts, his vocal support for civil rights, and his increasing business acumen meant he was gathering enemies, which only fuelled conspiracy theories about his death. Officially the killing was deemed a justifiable homicide, but the mystery surrounding the true facts of that fateful night persists.