Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke (1931–1964) was an American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur whose smooth, gospel-inflected soul recordings included “You Send Me” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Soul music: A popular music genre combining gospel music’s vocal intensity with rhythm and blues. Cooke’s recordings helped establish soul as a distinct popular style.
The Soul Stirrers: An influential African American gospel group whose members included Sam Cooke. Cooke rose to prominence as the group’s lead singer before beginning a solo career.
J. W. Alexander: An American gospel musician, songwriter, and music executive associated with the Soul Stirrers and Sam Cooke. Alexander helped guide Cooke’s early career and later worked with him in music publishing.
Tracey Records: A record label founded by Sam Cooke in 1963 and named for his daughter. The label gave Cooke a vehicle to release records beyond his RCA contract.
Civil rights movement: A broad campaign for equal rights and the end of racial segregation in the United States. “A Change Is Gonna Come” became closely associated with the movement’s struggle and hopes.
Gospel music: Christian music rooted in African American church traditions, known for expressive vocals and spiritual themes. Cooke’s gospel background shaped his phrasing, vocal power, and musical sensibility.
Chicago gospel music: A major tradition of African American gospel music shaped by Chicago churches and recording artists. The city’s gospel scene formed part of the musical world Cooke entered as a young singer.
Bumps Blackwell: An American record producer and arranger who worked with Sam Cooke at Keen Records. Blackwell produced “You Send Me” and helped shape Cooke’s first pop recordings.
SAR Records: A record label founded by Sam Cooke and J. W. Alexander in 1961. Cooke used SAR to develop artists and exercise greater control over recording and publishing.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: A museum and institution honoring influential figures in rock and popular music. Cooke’s 1986 induction recognized his lasting influence on popular music.

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