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Sam Cooke

(1931 – 1964) A Gospel singer who crossed over to Pop, Sam Cooke was hailed as one of the most gifted singers of his era, and he was also one of the most successful, with a prodigious run of hits between 1957 and 1964. Widely credited as a pioneer of Soul music, Cooke – who maintained huge popularity with black audiences even as he commandeered the Pop charts and built a substantial following among whites — had a notable influence on late 60s singers such as Otis Redding and Al Green. Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, one of eight children....