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.
Peace In The Valley
Sam Cooke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There will be peace in the valley for me, I'll pray
Oh, no sadness, no sorrow
No more trouble, there will be
There will be peace in the valley for me
Whoa, you know the bear will be gentle
You know the wolf's gonna be so tame
Oh yes
I know the horse from the wild
Will be led by a little child
And I'll be changed from this creature that I am
Well, o well, o well, o well, o there will be peace, child
In the valley, for me
One day, o there will be peace, child
In the valley, for me
I pray
Oh, no more sadness, no sorrow
No more trouble, there will never be
There will be peace, in the valley
For me
O, there will be peace, child
In the valley, for me
One day, whoa, there will be peace, child
In the valley, for me, one day
Whoa, no sadness, no sorrow
No more trouble, there will never be
Yes, there will be peace, yea in the valley
Yea for me
The song "Peace in the Valley" by Sam Cooke speaks to the universal desire for peace and harmony in one's life, particularly in times of sorrow and trouble. In this song, Cooke expresses the hope and belief that one day there will be peace, not only for him but for everyone. He speaks of a world where animals that were once wild and dangerous will be tame and peaceful, where enemies will become friends, and where there will be no pain or sadness. He conveys a message of optimism that inspires and comforts those who are going through difficult times.
The central theme of "Peace in the Valley" aligns well with Cooke's goal of making music that could help bring people together and create positive change. He was known for his soulful voice and his ability to blend different genres of music, including gospel, soul, R&B, and pop. The song itself is a gospel classic that has been recorded by many other artists, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Mahalia Jackson. Its universal appeal has made it a popular choice for funerals, memorials, and other somber occasions.
Overall, "Peace in the Valley" is a poignant song that speaks to the human heart's desire for peace and comfort, especially during times of hardship and uncertainty. Cooke's soaring vocals and heartfelt lyrics make this song stand out as a true gospel classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, there will be peace in the valley, one day
There will come a time when there will be peace in the valley
There will be peace in the valley for me, I'll pray
I hope that I will experience the peace in the valley
Oh, no sadness, no sorrow
There will be no feelings of sadness or sorrow
No more trouble, there will be
There will be no more problems or difficulties
There will be peace in the valley for me
I will have peace in the valley
Whoa, you know the bear will be gentle
The animals that were once wild and aggressive will become tame and docile
You know the wolf's gonna be so tame
Even the most fearsome of creatures will have a change of heart
Mighty lion, you will lie down with the lamb
The strongest and fiercest animals will live in harmony with the weakest and most vulnerable
Oh yes
Indeed
I know the horse from the wild
Horses that were once wild and untamed
Will be led by a little child
Will be guided by a small and innocent child
And I'll be changed from this creature that I am
I too will experience a transformation into a new self
Well, o well, o well, o well, o there will be peace, child
There is a certainty that peace will come
In the valley, for me
I will have peace in the valley
One day, o there will be peace, child
One day, the peace will come
In the valley, for me
I will have peace in the valley
I pray
I hope and desire for this peace to happen
Oh, no more sadness, no sorrow
There will be no more feelings of grief or unhappiness
No more trouble, there will never be
There will never be problems or difficulties again
There will be peace, in the valley
There will be a sense of calm and tranquility in the valley
For me
I will experience this peace
O, there will be peace, child
Peace will come
In the valley, for me
I will have peace in the valley
One day, whoa, there will be peace, child
One day, peace will come
In the valley, for me, one day
I will have peace in the valley, one day
Whoa, no sadness, no sorrow
There will be no feelings of sadness or sorrow
No more trouble, there will never be
There will never be problems or difficulties again
Yes, there will be peace, yea in the valley
Truly, there will be peace in the valley
Yea for me
I will experience this peace
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Bluewater Music Corp., Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Thomas A. Dorsey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rosiestover3709
Sam Cooke was the best singer ever there will never be another singer like HIM!!!
@geanluka
I am a young man from Brazil, I'm 19 years old. I really like this style of music. In Brazil we do not have that. Is 01:55 am and I'm listening to this music my soul is joyful with this sound. God bless america.
@murlenetaylor8909
gean lucas pereira God bless you too.
@recardoakeemsouvenir1494
Same here in Guyana
@missylee3022
Listen to Aretha Franklin precious lord, and andre crouch take me back. Let me know how you like
@ovetawalker7557
You should listen to James Cleveland too. I think you will enjoy
@JustBecause1966
There are so many to hear and enjoy. The Soul Stirrers with Sam Cook, Soul stirrers with Johnnie Taylor. One of my favorites it Jimmy Outtler and The Soul Stirrers one of my favorite songs is called His Precious Love (with picture of record with blue covered label that says "Checker" on it . But there's also The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Blind Boys of Mississippi, The Williams Brothers. I would have to type too many words to list them all. As a Christian, I love how I have family in any country, any city, any where. God Bless!!
@BigBossHawg
2023 We still here!
@mauricemckee7937
One of the best gospel group of all times ain't no other groups can touch the Soul Stirrers
@windofGod27
Its 4 in the morning and my mom is up listening to Sam Cooke gospel Just beautiful. Sam Cooke music is apart of my family history