On December 11, 1964, Cooke was allegedly shot to death by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California at the age of 33. At the time, the courts ruled that Cooke was drunk and distressed, and the manager killed Cooke in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been widely questioned.
Sam Cooke (he added an "e" onto the end of his name because he thought it added a touch of class) was one of eight children of Rev. Charles and Mrs. Annie Mae Cook. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1933.
Cooke began his musical career as a member of a quartet with his siblings, the Singing Children, followed by a turn as a teenager as a member of the Highway QCs, a gospel group. In 1950, at the age of 19, he joined The Soul Stirrers and achieved significant success and fame within the gospel community.
His first pop single, "Lovable" (1956) was released under the alias of "Dale Cooke," in order to not alienate his fan base; there was a considerable taboo against gospel singers performing secular music. However, the alias failed to hide Cooke's unique and distinctive vocals. No one was fooled. Art Rupe, head of Specialty Records, the label of the Soul Stirrers, gave his blessing for Cooke to record secular music under his real name, but was unhappy about the type of music Cooke and Bumps Blackwell, Cooke's pop producer, were making. Rupe expected Cooke's secular music to be similar to that of another Specialty Records artist, Little Richard. When Rupe walked in on a recording session and heard Cooke covering Gershwin, he was quite upset. After an argument between Rupe and Blackwell, Cooke and Blackwell left the label, and Cooke signed with Keen Records in 1957. His first release was "You Send Me", which spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart but which also had massive mainstream success, spending three weeks at #1 on the Billboard pop chart.
As if a R&B performer writing his own songs and achieving mainstream fame was not innovative enough, Cooke continued to astonish the music business in the 1960s with the founding of his own label, SAR Records, which soon included The Simms Twins, The Valentinos, Bobby Womack, and Johnnie Taylor. Cooke then created a publishing imprint and management firm, then left Keen to sign with RCA. One of his first RCA singles was the hit "Chain Gang." It reached #2 on the Billboard pop chart. This was followed by more hits, including "Sad Mood", "Bring it on Home to Me" (with Lou Rawls on backing vocals), "Another Saturday Night" and "Twistin' the Night Away".
Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had 29 top 40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B charts. In spite of this, he released a critically acclaimed blues-inflected LP in 1963, Night Beat. He was known for having written many of the most popular songs of all time in the genre, and is often uncredited for many of them by the general public.
Cooke died at the age of 33 under mysterious circumstances on December 11, 1964 in Los Angeles, California. Though the details of the case are still in dispute (see below), it seems he was shot to death by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel in South Los Angeles, who claimed that he had threatened her, and that she killed him in self-defense. The verdict was justifiable homicide, though many believe that crucial details did not come out in court, or were buried afterward. Cooke was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California.
Some posthumous releases followed, many of which became hits, including "A Change Is Gonna Come", an early protest song which is generally regarded as his greatest composition.
After Cooke's death, his widow, Barbara, married Bobby Womack. Cooke's daughter, Linda, later married Bobby's brother, Cecil.
The song "A Change Is Gonna Come" was played upon the death of Malcolm X, and was memorably featured in Spike Lee's film Malcolm X. Barack Obama's presidential victory speech paraphrased the song: "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."
Rapper Tupac Shakur references Cooke in a line of the song "Thugz Mansion", and Nas references him in the song "We Major" with Kanye West. The Roots song "Stay Cool" suggests, "I got the soul of a young Sam Cooke". Mike Doughty's song "Sweet Lord in Heaven" evokes the memory of Cooke, as does the Wallflowers 2000 song "Sleepwalker": "Cupid don't draw back your bow, Sam Cooke didn't know what I know". The Irish rock-group Jetplane Landing have a song named "Sam Cooke".
A fictional version of Cooke (portrayed by Paul Mooney) appeared briefly in the 1978 film, The Buddy Holly Story, leaving the stage at the Apollo Theater before Buddy and The Crickets got on. After being featured prominently in the 1985 film Witness, the song "Wonderful World" gained further exposure. "Wonderful World" was featured in one of two concurrently running Levi's Jeans commercials in 1985 and became a hit in the United Kingdom because of this, reaching #2 in re-release. Other notable movies that featured his music are Animal House ("Wonderful World" and "Twistin' the Night Away"), American Werewolf in London, and Cadence ("Chain Gang").
Cooke's songs "Bring It on Home to Me" and "Change is Gonna Come" were both featured in the movie Ali. The opening scene of the movie consisted of a live reenactment of "Bring It on Home to Me".
Posthumous honors
Shortly following his passing, Motown Records released We Remember Sam Cooke, a collection of Cooke covers recorded by The Supremes.
In 1986, Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1999, Cooke was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #16 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
In 2008, Cooke was named the fourth "Greatest Singer of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine."
Covers
John Lennon included a medley of two Cooke songs, "Bring It On Home to Me" and "Send Me Some Lovin'," on his 1975 oldies album, Rock 'n' Roll.
Cooke's songs are covered in a tour-available EP from Decemberists frontman, Colin Meloy. It is the third installment of his solo-tour Colin Meloy Sings...!
Johnny Nash covered the song "Cupid" in 1969 with chart success in the US and UK, and it was included as the B-side on some versions of his 1972 hit single I Can See Clearly Now.
The Animals covered the song "Bring It On Home To Me" in 1965.
Amy Winehouse also covered the song "Cupid" for the BBC Radio 1 album Radio 1 Established 1967.
British soul singer Adele covered the song "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" as B-side to her single "Chasing Pavements" a bonus track for the Asian release of her studio album 19.
Richard Marx covered "Bring It On Home To Me" and "Wonderful World" during his earlier concerts.
"A Change Is Gonna Come" has been covered several times. Solo, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, The Fifth Dimension, The Neville Brothers, Otis Redding, The Fugees, Cold War Kids, Seal, Bill Frisell, and The Band featuring the vocals of Rick Danko have all recorded versions of the song. Seal's version debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (Billboard, Nov. 2008) shortly after the election of Obama-Biden.
Gene Vincent, who was a big fan and a close personal friend of Sam Cooke's, recorded "Another Saturday Night" in 1964 and "Bring It On Home to Me" shortly before his own death in 1971.
Cat Stevens released his Greatest Hits album (1975) with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night", only the second song he released that he didn't write himself. He had also released it as a single (July 12, 1974) which reached No.4 in the U.S.
Cooke was an influence on punk vocalist Mia Zapata of The Gits, who honored him with a cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come" on their album Enter: The Conquering Chicken.
In spring 1965 the British group Herman's Hermits reached no. 5 in the US charts and no.7 in the UK charts with their version of "Wonderful World".
In 1978, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, and James Taylor sang "Wonderful World" which hit the Top 40 in the US charts.
In 1966, the now cult 60s British pop show Ready Steady Goes Live, the live version of Ready Steady Go!, devoted a whole programme to a live performance of Soul singer Otis Redding, who regularly covered many of Cooke's songs. One of the highlights was a rousing version of "Shake" on which Redding was joined by British Soul legends Eric Burdon, lead singer of The Animals, and chart topper Chris Farlowe.
Jimmy Buffett covered "Another Saturday Night" on his album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Menu, in 1993.
Ol' Man River
Sam Cooke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That ol' man river.
He don't say nothin'
But he must know somethin'
Cause he just keeps rollin'
He keeps rollin' along.
Rollin' along.
He don't plant tators
Them that plants 'em is soon forgotten.
But ol' man river
He keeps rollin' along.
You and me
We sweat and strain.
Body all achin'
And wracked with pain.
Tote that barge.
Lift that bale.
Get a little drunk
And you land in jail.
I gets weary
Sick of tryin'
I'm tired of livin'
Feared of dyin'
But ol' man river
He's rollin' along.
Sam Cooke's song "Ol' Man River" was first recorded in 1927 by Paul Robeson for the musical "Show Boat." The lyrics are a reflection of the life of African American laborers who worked on the Mississippi River during the early 20th century, with "Ol' Man River" representing the endless flow of work and struggle that they faced. The song speaks of the river that "don't say nothin'," but must know something due to its persistence in rolling along. The river is compared to the workers who continue to toil despite the harsh conditions, exhaustion, and oppression they face.
The singer describes the exhausting physical labor that he and others endure, with their bodies aching and wracked with pain as they work to transport goods along the river. They do this work tirelessly, but it feels futile, as those who plant crops are quickly forgotten by society. The second verse speaks of the weariness that comes from constantly struggling to survive, with the singer expressing his desperation for things to change but lacking the energy to make it happen. Even in the face of such despair, the river keeps rolling along, representing the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of both struggle and survival.
Line by Line Meaning
Ol' man river.
Old man river. Personification of the Mississippi River as an old man.
That ol' man river.
Again personifying the river as an old man.
He don't say nothin'
The river is silent and doesn't speak.
But he must know somethin'
Despite being silent, the river must know something.
Cause he just keeps rollin'
The river continues to flow, it never stops moving.
He keeps rollin' along.
Reiterating that the river never stops flowing.
Rollin' along.
Repeating that the river continues to flow.
He don't plant tators.
The river doesn't plant potatoes.
He don't plant cotton.
The river doesn't plant cotton either.
Them that plants 'em is soon forgotten.
People who plant potatoes and cotton are forgotten quickly.
But ol' man river
Despite not doing much, the river:
He keeps rollin' along.
Continues to flow continuously.
You and me
Referring to the hardworking people.
We sweat and strain.
People work hard, sweat and get exhausted.
Body all achin'
Their bodies ache from hard work.
And wracked with pain.
Their bodies are in pain.
Tote that barge.
People work hard, carrying heavy loads.
Lift that bale.
They lift heavy bales too.
Get a little drunk
They drink alcohol to cope with the difficulties.
And you land in jail.
Drinking leads to crime and punishment.
I gets weary
People get weary and tired.
Sick of tryin'
People get tired of trying.
I'm tired of livin'
People are tired of their lives.
Feared of dyin'
They fear death.
But ol' man river
Despite their troubles, the river:
He's rollin' along.
Continues to flow and bring life to everything around it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar Ii Hammerstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@truthhitman7473
SAM COOKE THE MOVIE !!!
SAM COOKE = King of Soul
Rolling along, rolling along, rolling along
Hmm, old man river, that old man river
He don't say nothing, but he must know something
For old man river, he just keeps rolling along
He don't plant taters, he don't pick cotton
And them that plants em they're soon forgotten
While old man river, he just keeps rolling along
You and me, we sweat and strain
Body all aching and racked with pain
Tote that barge lift the bale
Get a little drunk and land in jail
I get weary and sick of trying
I'm tired of living and afraid of dying
While old man river he just keeps rolling along
@samcooke5758
To this day there is no one like him. His looks, his talent, yeah he had it all. Mr. Soul.
@dorishorton4911
His charisma, charm and mannerisms Yelp he had the whole package. I love you Sam Cooke rest easy
@barbarabrown4205
Yes Sam , Doris , he was yes the full package , miss Sam Cooke oh so much. Sweet Memory , we keep Sam Spirit alive , you never die Sam Cooke , live on spirit of Sam Ooke
@paballoshane6168
R Kelly
@josephchristopher6344
You got that right I've been saying it for years!
@kidwatson4240
Closest thing was Marvin Gaye.
@robertchatman5898
It,s great to see Sam cooke walking around, doing his moves,. Great figure of a man and the greatest singer ever. His voice was sent straight from heaven by the most high.
@barbarabrown4205
Robert Chatman. Yes Robert , God lent him to us , oh how I remember that day 12/11/1964 . I still get the pain in my heart when I got the word .Spirit of Sam Cooke live for ever .
@rij23
He just had one of the most smoothest and greatest voices ever! Can always listen to Sam Cooke a real legend and his songs are just so cool and timeless. I wasn't born when Sam was around and wonder what he would have offered to the world of Soul and popular music if his life wasn't cut so tragically short! R.I.P Sam
@LADYSIMON1
Sam Cooke's voice was flawless!! Grew up listening to his gospel albums!!