Sam Cooke - 2293 Words

Sam Cooke was one of the most important soul singers in history -- he was the inventor of soul music. Cooke was one of the most popular performers in both the black and white communities. He was also among the first modern black performers and composers to venture into the business side of the music business, when he founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as an addition to being a singer and composer. Like many artist before him Cooke tackled issues including the struggle over civil rights. Some may even say the intensity of which followed an arc that paralleled Cookes emergence as a star -- his own career bridged gaps between black and white audiences that few had tried to surmount, much less†¦show more content†¦Cookes RCA sides were an amazing body of work, at least for the first two years. He broke new ground in pop and soul with the single Chain Gang, a strange mix of sweet melodies and gritty, sweaty sensibilities that also introduced something of a social conscience to his work -- a number two hit on both the pop and RB charts, it was his biggest hit since You Send Me and heralded a bolder phase in his career. Singles like bluesy, romantic Sad Mood, the romantic soul of Cupid, and the straight-ahead dance tune Twistin the Night Away, and Bring It on Home to Me all lived up to this promise, and also sold in huge numbers. But the first two albums that RCA had him do, Hits of the Fifties and Cookes Tour, were among the lamest LPs ever recorded by any soul or RB singer, comprised of washed-out pop tunes in arrangements that showed almost none of Cookes gifts to their advantage. In 1962, Cooke issued Twistin the Night Away, a somewhat belated twist album that became one of his biggest-selling LPs. He didnt really hit his stride as an LP artist; however, until 1963 with the release of Night Beat, a moody assembly of blues-oriented songs that were among the best and most challenging numbers that Cooke had recorded up to that time. By the time of its release, he was mostly identified through his singles, which were among theShow MoreRelatedSam Cooke2000 Words   |  8 PagesMcCullers MUSI 2040 Vanessa Tome Sam Cooke and â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come† In the midst of a time where black Americans were facing extreme ridicule and fighting for their rights, Sam Cooke arose from the Gospel music style and merged into the music known as Soul, a genre that spoke to the socially crumbling nation about peace and civil rights changes. Through his smooth style, velvety voice, handsome appearance, and appeal to black and white audiences alike, Sam Cooke made a difference in the livesRead MoreSam Cooke : A Vision Of Change1761 Words   |  8 Pages Sam Cooke: A Vision of Change Ian Elliott February 10, 2017 Youngstown State University Sam Cooke: A Vision of Change The year after Sam Cooke’s death his controversial song about the movement towards equality during the African American Civil Rights Movement, â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come,† was released. Cooke was a popular musical artist from the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s who transitioned over from gospel music to RB. He was born on January 22nd, 1931 in Clarksdale, MississippiRead MoreAmerica was a much different place during the 1960s. The eternal struggle for African American’s800 Words   |  4 PagesMaybe not as well known as these artists, but Sam Cooke definitely had a major affect the civil rights movement with his song â€Å"A Change Is Gonna Come†. Sam Cooke was born on January 22, 1933, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was one of eight children in a very poor, religious family. His dad’s name was Rev. Charles Cook, who was a Baptist minister.(Eder n.p.). When Sam was only two years old, his family uprooted and moved to Chicago, Illinois. Cooke first got into singing when he was only nine yearsRead MoreThe Most Iconic Civil Rights Movement Influencers Of All Time By Billie Holiday1590 Words   |  7 PagesStates for good and relocated in France where she spent her last days. The next artist I would like to discuss about is Sam Cooke. Cooke is indefinitely considered by many to be the father of soul music. Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January the 22nd 1931. Sam Cooke was born under a religious household and performed with his family as a child. After much work, Cooke gained the opportunity of a lifetime and was asked to join the Soul Stirrers. He gladly accepted and joined to work withRead MoreSam Cooke The Pop Singer Who At The Age Of 183529 Words   |  15 PagesAccording to Robert Fikes Jr., Marvin Jones spoke for Sam Cooke the pop singer who at the age of 18 was provoked by a White police officer in a park in Memphis, Tennessee. â€Å"Anyway, after they got in the park and settled down, they discovered these lights on them—the police had driven up behind them and put the spotlights on them and told them to get out of the car. Well, everybody got out, and they lined them up, but Sam was the only one who had his hands in his p ockets. And as they went down theRead MoreA Change Is Gon Na Come By Bob Dylan911 Words   |  4 PagesSam Cooke wrote the song, A Change Is Gonna Come, in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, which took place in between 1954 and 1968; his song is in support of the Civil Rights movement. According to a New Yorker article, Sam Cooke has always been a strong proponent of the Civil Rights Movement, and when he heard the song â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind, written by Bob Dylan, a Caucasian songwriter, he was inspired to write something similar to it to support the Civil Rights movement. This protest songRead MoreThe Power And Influence Of Gospel Music On The American Civil Rights Movement1594 Words   |  7 Pageseffective musical elements and style. Two contrasting artists who promoted and developed Gospel music during this period, Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke, revolutionised the genre. Mahalia Jackson, an urban Gospel singer, emphasised the traditional roots and characteris tics of the art form, and promoted religious-based messages of hope and love. Contrastingly, Sam Cooke, employed Gospel’s emotional and musical influences, to become one of the forefathers of Soul music. Consequently, Gospel music transformedRead MoreEssay Music Influence on the Civil Rights Movement1037 Words   |  5 Pageswhite singer that sang â€Å"oh freedom†. She ended up singing it at Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech. In the meaningful slow song Joan Baez expressed her wanting for equality and freedom. ii. Sam Cooke was an African American singer that became the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Sam took the spirit of the Black church into popular music. He became the first African American artist to reach #1 on both RB and pop charts. His music was risky, but he won over white listeners and keptRead MoreThe Affect of Sacred Music on Secular Music875 Words   |  4 Pageslike Sam Cooke, Patti Labelle, and James Brown forged a whole new genre of music in Soul music. From that stemmed things like neo-soul, hip-hop, and the new RB movement. Often when new artists come out they often try to get away from the church believing it doesn’t help them sell, is not contemporary enough, or by the direction of some record executive. You then say well who do they in return pattern themselves after and try to be like? These people like James Brown, Patti Labelle, and Sam CookeRead MoreThe ‘60s: Culture and Music Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica, which further echo’s the relationship between music and culture. Among the issues that divided Americans, none were larger than civil rights movement in 1960s. With the new movement being led by black Christians, such as Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke, the new music on the streets was influenced by music from the church. As the popularity of black artist started to build, especially in America, new variations of gospel and RB developed; forming soul and funk. Were in the past, black musicians