
read the story behind Sam's death: www.findadeath.com Sam Cooke was born Samuel Cook on January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He is not the only music-great to be born there since it was also the birth- and/or hometown of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Ike Turner. Legend has it that it was here that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, therefore it is seen as the home of the (delta)-blues. Sam's father was Charles Cook Sr., a Baptist minister and his mother Annie May Cook. Besides Sam 7 other brothers and sisters were born. Charles was a travelling minister in the Church of God, a section of the Baptist faith started around 1900 that was less traditional. Instead of just delivering a sermon he delivered in an emotional way, with the help of gospel music and singing. Elements that came back in the 1950's in soul music were the fainting by the singer, the swinging and the call-and-response technique. The family moved to Chicago in 1933 in search for better economic opportunities. They lived in a section of South-Chicago called Bronzeville. There Charles kept preaching all over the city, sometimes with the help of his offspring. During high school Sam and his siblings Charles, LC, Mary and Hattie formed the gospel-singing group "The Singing Children", who often opened up for their father. But besides singing gospel he, with his friend Lou Rawls, also sang secular songs. His biggest influence on his singing was RH Harris of the Soul Stirrers <b>...</b>
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