Samuel Cook (1931 – 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul and pop singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his vocal abilities and influence on the modern world of music. His contribution in pioneering Soul music led to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and popularizing the likes of Otis Redding and James Brown.

Cooke had 29 top-40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964. Major hits like “You Send Me”, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, “Cupid”, “Chain Gang”, “Wonderful World” and “Bring It on Home to Me” are some of his most popular songs.


On December 11, 1964, Cooke was fatally shot by a woman named Bertha Franklin,the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 33. At the time, the courts ruled that Cooke was drunk and distressed, and that the manager had killed Cooke in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Bertha told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had attacked her. Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been widely questioned.

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