Sam Cooke

In his brief yet luminous career, Sam Cooke made perhaps a dozen recordings that were milestones of soul, and laid the groundwork for most of the R&B-related music that would dominate the charts for decades afterward. Cooke's signature sound fused the passion of his beloved gospel music with a silky-smooth, assured pop-vocal style. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he was one of the most important figures in both pop and soul music in the 20th century. In 1964, while still at the prime of his musical ability, Cooke was murdered in a California hotel--a sudden end for a gifted and influential artist.

• pop
• r&b/soul
• 1960s