A Change Is Gonna Come

“Sam Cooke was a golden child around whom a family mythology was constructed long before he achieved fame or added the e to his last name.” — Peter Guralnick, Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke.

When Sam Cooke died in 1964, caught in a tryst with a prostitute and shot to death by the manager of a sleazy motel, thousands of fans came to view his body first in L.A. and then in Chicago. In Chicago, the plate glass front door of A.R. Leak’s funeral home gave way, as fans, friends, and fellow musicians pressed forward to see Cooke one last time. Cooke was at the height of his popularity in 1964. Worshiped in the gospel world, he was one of the architects of soul music, bringing gospel fervor to hits like “You Send Me,” “Wonderful World,” and the civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Cooke achieved crossover success that was and is still denied to many African-American performers. He moved from gospel to soul, and then to the pop world, playing the famed Copacabana in New York City. He was the first black artist to start his own record company (SAR), producing gospel, soul, and blues. Cooler and prettier than his contemporaries in the Rat Pack, Cooke was blessed with a mellifluous voice with a slightly rough edge, and a delivery that captivated both men and women. Given his iconic stature in the music world, it was inconceivable that Sam Cooke could die such a senseless and violent death.

Dream Boogie: The Triumph Of Sam Cooke is a well-written and informative book by biographer Peter Guralnick, who has scored hits with his award winning two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley, and Careless Love: The Unmaking Of Elvis Presley. His portraits of blues, soul, gospel, and country musicians in books like Searching For Robert Johnson, Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm And Blues And The Southern Dream Of Freedom, Nighthawk Blues, Lost Highway: Journeys And Arrivals Of American Musicians, and Feel Like Going Home: Portraits In Blues And Rock ‘N’ Roll have become classics.

Cooke’s life story was told in an earlier book by Daniel Wolff called You Send Me: The Life And Times Of Sam Cooke. Guralnick covers much the same territory, even referencing Wolff at times. Wolff wrote You Send Me with two of Cooke’s friends and musical associates — S.R. Crain, of the famed Soul Stirrers, and guitarist Clif White — and researcher David Tenenbaum. Guralnick, seeking perhaps to present a more intimate portrait, worked closely with L.C. Cooke, Sam’s younger brother. Last November, L.C. and Guralnick appeared at the DuSable Museum in a panel discussion with DJ Herb Kent and Dave Hoekstra of the Sun-Times. They also hosted a musical event at FitzGerald’s featuring Otis Clay, Willie Henderson, and others.

Sam Cooke seemed to have it all. He was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised in Chicago. The fifth of eight children of Reverend Charles and Hattie Cook, he was singing in the family group, The Singing Children, at age six. By the age of nine he knew that one day he would be famous. “I’m never gonna have a 9-to-5 job,” he told L.C. “I’m gonna sing, and I’m gonna make me a lot of money.” A handsome, intelligent, and charismatic person, Sam’s insatiable curiosity and sense of adventure captivated his family, friends, and fellow artists. He never lost his focus, which may have led to his becoming ruthless in business and in love. Cooke was not above hurting those closest to him in pursuing his goals. As the leader of the renowned Soul Stirrers, he felt no compunction about leaving them in the lurch, to cross over to pop. Once he did so, he was equally adept at maneuvering in the unsavory world of the music business. Married twice, Sam was unfaithful to both wives, taking advantage of the abundance of women he met at home and on the road.

The controversy surrounding Cooke’s death is well known, and has, to some extent, overshadowed his achievements. Many of his friends and fellow musicians felt Cooke was set up, possibly by the mob — who dominated the music business — or by his wife, who had reasons to be bitter toward him. Before starting SAR, Cooke wrangled his way out of contracts with Specialty and Keen. He was the first black artist to own a record company, plus he controlled his own publishing, which was unheard then. Sam’s second wife, and childhood sweetheart, Barbara Cooke, showed up at the funeral with a young Bobby Womack, Sam’s protégé and guitarist, dressed in Sam’s clothes. Two months later Barbara and Womack were married. During the question-and-answer period after an upbeat panel discussion at the DuSable, a young man, identifying himself as Cooke’s nephew, challenged L.C. by asking if there was a will. L.C. retorted (and Guralnick has written) that there was not. Just as the session came to an end, another relative, a young woman, asked L.C. “How did Sam die?” His answer was “You read the papers,” implying initial reports were true.

Despite his widespread appeal and charismatic personality, Cooke was an enigma even to those closest to him. With painstaking detail, Guralnick attempts to reveal the man behind the myth. He delves into the many aspects of Cooke’s life and times, to create an honest portrait of a wildly popular, but essentially inscrutable man.

— Beverly Zeldin-Palmer

Category: Monthly, Sweet Home