Sam Cooke is American singer and songwriter.

How did Sam Cooke die?

Sam Cooke passed away in 1964 (gunshot wound).

Sam Cooke

Q: What is Sam Cooke known for?

Sam Cooke is primarily known as a(n) composer, soul musician, Songwriter, singer, pianist, musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, guitarist.

American singer and songwriter

Born:January 22, 1931

Died:December 11, 1964

Age at death:33

Manner of death:Homicide

Cause of death:Gunshot Wound

Zodiac Sign:Aquarius

Born in:Clarksdale, United States

Buried in:United States

Languages:English

Composer Soul Musician Songwriter Singer Pianist Musician Singer-songwriter Recording Artist Guitarist

Links

Wikipedia Official Website IMDb Facebook Instagram

Famous For

Songs & Albums

A Change Is Gonna ComeWonderful WorldWillow Weep for MeYou Send MeNight Beat

Awards

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986)star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sam Cooke

American singer and songwriter

Biography

Samuel Cooke (né Cook; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American soul singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, pioneering contributions to the genre, and significance in popular music. During his thirteen-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top 10 of Billboard's Black Singles chart. In 1964, he was shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Los Angeles. His family has since questioned the circumstances of his death. In 2015, Cooke was ranked number 28 in Billboard magazine's list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time" and number 3 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", behind only Whitney Houston (number 2) and Aretha Franklin (number 1).

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Sam Cooke”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Quotes

“Cupid draw back your bow And let your arrow go Straight to my lover's heart for me For me... Cupid please hear my cry And let your arrow fly Straight to my lover's heart for me.”

— Cupid (1961)

“If you ever change your mind About leaving, leaving me behind Baby, bring it to me, bring your sweet lovin' Bring it on home to me Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah).”

— Bring It On Home to Me (1962)

“At first I thought it was infatuation But woo, it's lasted so long. Now I find myself wanting To marry you and take you home. Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. You, you, you, you send me I know you send me I know you send me Honest you do.”

— You Send Me

Quotes sourced from the Wikiquote article "Sam Cooke", available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

Photograph of Sam Cooke used in an advertisement in Billboard magazine for "Let's Go Steady Again".

Bo Diddley's guitar at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Flickr Tags: ohio guitar cleveland instrument bodiddley rockandrollhalloffame. Flickr Tags: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland Ohio. from Flickr album "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" by Sam Howzit.

Sam Cooke's outfit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Flickr Tags: ohio hat clothing cleveland clothes jacket rockandrollhalloffame samcooke. Flickr Tags: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland Ohio. from Flickr album "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" by Sam Howzit.

Tooting Granada plaque - 50 Mitcham Road London SW17 9NA - "Tooting Granada Built primarily as a cinema in 1931, later live performers here included: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, The Ronettes, Dusty Springfield, The Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beach Boys, Gene Vincent, Lulu, Cliff Richard" Erected by Summerstown182 Community History Project 27 June 2026

Sam Cooke's camera at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Flickr Tags: camera ohio cleveland rockandrollhalloffame samcooke. Flickr Tags: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland Ohio. from Flickr album "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" by Sam Howzit.