Sam Cooke
RCA Victor Records (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Sam Cooke was an American soul and rhythm and blues singer-songwriter whose career spanned thirteen years before his death in 1964. Widely recognized as one of the most influential soul musicians in history, Cooke earned the title "King of Soul" through his distinctive vocal style and pioneering work that shaped the genre. During his recording career, he achieved remarkable commercial success, charting 29 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 and 20 entries in the Top 10 of Billboard's Black Singles chart. Cooke was shot and killed by a motel manager in Los Angeles in December 1964; though ruled justifiable homicide, the circumstances have remained disputed. In 2015, he was ranked among Billboard's greatest R&B artists of all time.
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