R.I.P. SAM COOKE!
Sam Cooke was an American singer and songwriter who was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January 22nd, 1931. Motivated by the changing times, Sam Cooke used his platform to advocate for racial equality. His song “A Change Is Gonna Come” is considered an anthem for the civil rights movement. Many artists, including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Rod Stewart, have cited him as an inspiration.
Sam Cooke had the rare honor of being twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1999, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
On this very day, December 11th 1964, Samuel Cook was fatally shot (at the Hacienda Motel) in Los Angeles, California. He was only 33 years old at the time of his tragic death. In memory of his passing, I’ve chosen a song that Rolling Stone magazine included on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All-Time”. If you’d like to have a listen, please click on the provided link. Released in September 1957, here’s the late, SAM COOKE, with “YOU SEND ME”….