The 10 Best Sam Cooke Songs of All-Time

Best Sam Cooke Songs: 20 Gospel And Soul Essentials

How Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ became the definitive Civil Rights anthem

What happens when a voice that fought for freedom is silenced under suspicious circumstances? On December 11th, 1964, the world lost Sam Cooke, the unparalleled guv’nor of soul, at the tragically young age of 33. The scene was a murky LA motel, the company shady, and the events cloaked in mystery. Cooke, who seamlessly transitioned from gospel to soul and ignited the airwaves with civil rights anthems like "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "You Send Me," met his end under suspicious circumstances. Th