Sam Cooke.
Photo: 29 May 1965.
Source: BILLBOARD
Author: RCA Victor Records.
(Wikimedia Commons)
“Jesus Gave Her Water”.
Sung by: Same Cooke and The Soul Stirrers.
Available on YouTube at
The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.
Samuel Cook (22 January 1931 – 11 December 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer, songwriter, civil-rights activist and entrepreneur.
Influential as both a singer and composer, he is commonly known as The King of Soul for his distinctive vocals and importance within popular music.
He began singing as a child and joined The Soul Stirrers before moving to a solo career where he scored a string of Hit Songs, like: "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' The Night Away", and "Bring It On Home To Me".
In 1950, Cooke replaced Gospel Tenor R. H. Harris as Lead Singer of the Gospel Group, The Soul Stirrers, founded by Harris, who had signed with Specialty Records on behalf of the Group.
Their first recording under Cooke's leadership was the song "Jesus Gave Me Water", in 1951. They also recorded the Gospel Songs "Peace In The Valley", " How Far Am I From Canaan ? ", "Jesus Paid The Debt", and "One More River", among many others, some of which he wrote.
Cooke was often credited for bringing Gospel Music to the attention of a younger crowd of listeners, mainly girls who would rush to the stage, when The Soul Stirrers hit the Stage, just to get a glimpse of Cooke.
His pioneering contributions to Soul Music contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Preston, and popularised the likes of Otis Redding, and James Brown.
AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder wrote that Cooke was "the inventor of Soul Music", and possessed "an incredible natural singing voice and a smooth, effortless delivery that has never been surpassed".
On 11 December 1964, at the age of thirty-three, Cooke was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin, the manager of The Hacienda Motel, in Los Angeles, California. After an Inquest, The Courts ruled Cooke's death to be a Justifiable Homicide.
Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been called into question by Cooke's family.
