Jan. 22: Sam Cooke was born on this date in 1931...

... he died on December 11, 1964. He was 33 when he died from gunshot wounds.

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"Sam Cooke was the only one that really influenced me.  Over a period of two years, that's all I listened to."  Rod Stewart Rolling Stone Magazine, June 8 , 1972.

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Samuel Cook, born on January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, was a gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer and songwriter. Nicknamed The King of Soul, he is one of the pioneers and founders of soul music.

Cooke is remembered or his unique vocal abilities and impact and influence on the modern world of music. He is credited with paving the way for Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and James Brown.

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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," "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World," and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs.

Cooke was among the first African-American performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label and a publishing company.  

On December 11, 1964, Cooke was shot by 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 the manager killed Cooke in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been widely in dispute.

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