Sam Cooke was one of soul music’s greatest talents. The “King of Soul” is largely credited with bridging the gap between pop and soul music using his roots in gospel to influence his formidable vocal talents.
Cooke was born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Miss. but was primarily raised in Chicago. As a young man, Cooke sang with his family in churches, as his father was a minister. He grew up admiring the gospel group, the Soul Stirrers, and got the chance of a lifetime when he was asked to join them after he left high school in 1948. He sang with the group for six years. Even in that arena, Cooke emerged as something of a sex symbol, with his dashing good looks attracting female fans in droves to Soul Stirrers shows.
Cooke’s secular career began in 1956 under the alias Dale Cook as he didn’t want to alienate his gospel music fans. In 1957, Cooke signed with Keen Records and released the first of a string of number one hits in “You Send Me” which topped the Billboard R&B and Pop charts for weeks. Other hits included “Chain Gang,” “Wonderful World,” and “Twistin’ The Night Away.” (READ MORE)
