We Remember Sam Cooke

The controversy that surrounded the death of Sam Cooke in December 1964 – he was shot by a hotel manager while dressed in a coat and one shoe after apparently being robbed – and the sense of loss felt by the soul community have seen this former gospel singer’s catalogue attain huge popularity. His early recordings with The Soul Stirrers through to his national hits in the US and UK have been inspirational in their lyrical content – ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ featured in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X movie – and also for Cooke’s engaging vocal delivery. His death prompted The Supremes to record the album ‘We Remember Sam Cooke’ and generations that followed, from his contemporary Gene Vincent through to Rod Stewart, Adele and Amy Winehouse have covered him, while The Arctic Monkeys’ recently selected Cupid for their radio 1 playlist. Elsewhere, Cooke has been remembered in a host of hip hop songs, namechecked by The Roots, Snoop Dog, Tupac and Nas among others, testament to the longevity of this legendary soul singer. Sam Cooke - Ain’t That Good News