Ernest Aaron Freeman (August 16, 1922 – May 16, 1981) was an American pianist , organist , bandleader, and arranger . He was responsible for arranging many successful rhythm and blues and pop records from the 1950s to the 1970s.
72-481: Freeman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Ernest Freeman Sr. and Gertrude Freeman (née Richardson). He had a brother, Art Freeman, that was in music and recording and sometimes collaborated with Ernest Freeman. Freeman's wife was Isabelle Freeman (née Collier), who also collaborated with him in some songs. Freeman had a daughter Janis. In 1935, he began playing in local Cleveland area nightclubs, and also formed
144-515: A criminal conspiracy has been presented. Since the LAPD did not fully investigate Cooke's death at the night of the murder finding potential evidence has proven difficult. Much of the confusion surrounding Cooke's death stems from the fact that the LAPD conducted only a cursory investigation, giving many the impression that authorities wanted to sweep the matter under the rug. Cooke's close friend Muhammad Ali said: "If Cooke had been Frank Sinatra,
216-562: A swing band and gospel choir leader, she and her husband, Tommy Roberts, established the Young Saints foundation for young performers in Los Angeles . She was born Gertrude Evelyn Freeman in Cleveland, Ohio , the daughter of Gertrude Evelyn (née Richardson) and Ernest Aaron Freeman. Her younger brother Ernie Freeman later became a successful composer and arranger on many records between
288-428: A .22 pistol, but the gun registered to Franklin was a .32. The bullet that passed through his body was taken into police evidence and then quickly went missing. However, Franklin and the motel's owner, Evelyn Carr, had been on the telephone together at the time of the incident. "Thus, Carr claimed to have overheard Cooke's intrusion and the ensuing conflict and gunshots. Carr called the police to request that they go to
360-406: A Someone "), Johnny Mathis , and Petula Clark (" This Is My Song ", "For Love"), and becoming musical director with Reprise Records . From 1960 to 1969 he arranged virtually every session for Snuff Garrett at Liberty Records including artists Julie London , Bobby Vee , Johnny Burnette , Gene McDaniels , Timi Yuro , and Walter Brennan , as well as a series of over 25 instrumental albums with
432-645: A Song . In 1970 Freeman contributed string arrangements to Simon and Garfunkel 's Bridge Over Troubled Water album before his retirement later in the decade. In 1972, he had a single " The Overture " released on the Oak Records label. Freeman was a board member and served as secretary of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in 1964. According to several sources, Freeman suffered from alcoholism . He died at his home in Los Angeles in 1981 from
504-551: A car accident en route from St. Louis to Greenville, Mississippi . His chauffeur Edward Cunningham was killed, while Cooke, guitarist Cliff White, and singer Lou Rawls were hospitalized. Cooke was a central part of the civil rights movement , using his influence and popularity with the White and Black populations to fight for the cause. Cooke was friends with boxer Muhammad Ali , activist Malcolm X and football player Jim Brown , who together campaigned for racial equality. Cooke
576-412: A chic L.A. eatery and watering hole for Hollywood's musical elite. Cooke was joined by Al Schmitt , his close friend and longtime producer, and Schmitt's wife. Martinis flowed and Cooke wandered to the bar, where he chatted with industry friends and merrily waved around a wad of $ 5,000 cash — his take from a recent set of concert dates. Schmitt last saw him getting cozy with a woman he didn't recognize. She
648-516: A classical music trio for local social functions with his father and his sister Evelyn . Around 1939, he and Evelyn formed a new band, The Evelyn Freeman Swing Band, with fellow teenagers from Cleveland Central High School. Evelyn played piano, while Ernie played saxophone and also began writing arrangements for the band. The band began a regular engagement at the Circle Ballroom in Cleveland, and broadcast shows for WHK radio station. In 1942, most of
720-582: A composer and arranger for television, as well as for performers including Bing Crosby , Dean Martin and Louis Prima , and ran her own club, "The Upstairs" on Sunset Strip . With her husband, Tommy Roberts, she also established The Young Saints Scholarships Foundation, a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1967, with the aim of providing free training in singing, dance, drama, television work and associated skills for young people, aged between 5 and 21, in South Central Los Angeles . In 1970,
792-502: A featured soloist in the Cleveland-based Wings Over Jordan Choir since its 1935 inception. Tommy recruited Evelyn to help compose material for the a cappella spiritual choir at the start of a postwar tour, but was fired several months later by Rev. Glynn T. Settle as her popularity quickly rivaled his; Tommy left the choir at the same time. They married and moved to New York City and began performing in
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#1732884491140864-467: A five-year contract for Allen Klein to manage Kags Music and SAR Records , and made him his manager. Klein negotiated a five-year deal (three years plus two option years) with RCA Victor in which a holding company, Tracey, Ltd, named after Cooke's daughter, owned by Klein and managed by J. W. Alexander, would produce and own Cooke's recordings. RCA Victor would get exclusive distribution rights in exchange for six percent royalty payments and payments for
936-520: A heart attack and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale , California. Freeman won Grammy awards for his arrangements of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" (1966) and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1970). "Stay With Me" Vic Damone 1966 RCA Victor. Evelyn Freeman Roberts Evelyn Freeman Roberts (February 13, 1919 – May 5, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and educator. After an early career as
1008-420: A hit nor a flop, but it indicated Cooke's future potential. While gospel was popular, Cooke saw that its fans were mostly limited to low-income, rural parts of the country, and he sought to branch out. Cooke later admitted that he got an endorsement for a career in pop music from the least likely man, his pastor father. Cooke stated: "My father told me it was not what I sang that was important, but that God gave me
1080-411: A motel owner in Los Angeles with a prior criminal record. Franklin was later convicted in 1979 when she was found guilty of second-degree murder following another similar shooting. The courts at the time of Cooke's death ruled in favor of Franklin, stating that his death was a justifiable homicide . Cooke's family and many fans worldwide have since questioned the circumstances surrounding his death and
1152-637: A publishing imprint and management firm named Kags. Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all, he had 29 top 40 hits on the pop charts and more on the R&;B charts. Cooke was a prolific songwriter and wrote most of the songs he recorded. Cooke also had a hand in overseeing some of the song arrangements. In spite of releasing mostly singles, he released a well-received blues -inflected LP in 1963, Night Beat , and his most critically acclaimed studio album, Ain't That Good News , which featured five singles, in 1964. In 1963, Cooke signed
1224-568: A rival gospel group. In 1950, Cooke replaced gospel tenor R. H. Harris as lead singer of his gospel group The Soul Stirrers , who had signed with Specialty Records on behalf of the group. Their first recording under Cooke's leadership was the song "Jesus Gave Me Water" in 1950. They also recorded the gospel songs " Peace in the Valley ", "How Far Am I from Canaan?", "Jesus Paid the Debt" and "One More River", among many others, some of which he wrote. Cooke
1296-515: A smooth, effortless delivery that has never been surpassed." Cooke was portrayed by Paul Mooney in The Buddy Holly Story , a 1978 American biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly . In the stage play One Night in Miami , first performed in 2013, Cooke was portrayed by Arinzé Kene . In the 2020 film adaptation , he is played by Leslie Odom Jr. , who
1368-587: A voice and musical talent and the true use of His gift was to share it and make people happy." Taking the name "Sam Cooke", he sought a fresh start in pop. In 1957, Sam Cooke appeared on ABC's The Guy Mitchell Show . That same year, he signed with Keen Records. Cooke's first hit, " You Send Me ", released as the B-side of " Summertime ", spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&;B chart . The song also had mainstream success, spending three weeks at No. 1 on
1440-760: A wide range of emotions including playful expressiveness to interact with listeners, mellow somberness as a form of reflection, and (in " A Change Is Gonna Come ") profound soulfulness. When performing live, he would often play with notes and scales and experiment with melodies and his enunciation, while improvising entire songs. Cooke also began to perform highly charged versions of his songs later in his career. Cooke's vocal exploits would go on to influence many acts like Otis Redding , James Brown , Rod Stewart , Johnny Nash , Tina Turner , Wilson Pickett , Mick Jagger , Al Green , Paul McCartney , Diana Ross , Marvin Gaye , Steve Perry , and Stevie Wonder among many others. Cooke
1512-557: Is commonly referred to as the " King of Soul " for his distinctive vocals, pioneering contributions to the genre, and significance in popular music. During his eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top Ten of Billboard 's Black Singles chart. In 1964, he was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin,
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#17328844911401584-434: Is spin-off doc No 4). Could Cooke's willingness to stand up to powerful vested interests have been a factor in his murder? Back then, the LAPD felt Cooke's black life didn't matter enough to warrant a full investigation. This doc makes that clear, but goes no further. Which brings us to suggested spin-off No 5: Isn't it time some enterprising film-maker did a deep dive into Cooke's death? " The first funeral service for Cooke
1656-512: The Billboard pop chart. It elevated him from earning $ 200 a week to over $ 5,000 a week (equivalent to $ 54,000 in 2023). In 1958, Cooke performed for the famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert produced by Leon Hefflin held at the Shrine Auditorium on August 3. The other headliners were Little Willie John , Ray Charles , Ernie Freeman , and Bo Rhambo . Sammy Davis Jr. was there to crown
1728-531: The Dot label in 1958; both tracks were co-written by Freeman and Roberts. This was followed by the gospel-inspired album Sky High on Imperial Records in 1960. In 1962, the single "Didn't It Rain" was issued on the small Bel Canto label before being reissued by the United Artists label, and the ensemble also recorded with singer Earl Nelson . In the mid-1960s, she moved to Los Angeles . She continued to work as
1800-643: The Mambo label. After a spell as arranger for Woody Herman he joined the Ernie Fields Orchestra, playing the piano. Other members of the band included saxophonists Earl Bostic and Plas Johnson , guitarist René Hall , and drummer Earl Palmer . In 1951 Freeman also began playing with the Billy Hadnott Sextet, but left in 1954 to form his own combo with Johnson, Palmer and guitarist Irving Ashby . In 1955 they released their first record, "No No Baby" on
1872-584: The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on August 3, 1958. The other headliners were Little Willie John , Ray Charles , Sam Cooke , and Bo Rhambo . Sammy Davis Jr. was there to crown the winner of the Miss Cavalcade of Jazz beauty contest. The event featured the top four prominent disc jockey of Los Angeles. In 1958 the Ernie Fields Orchestra, including Freeman, became the house band for
1944-614: The "e" to his last name in 1957 to signify a new start to his life). He was the fifth of eight children of Rev. Charles Cook, a Baptist minister in the Church of Christ (Holiness) , and the former Annie Mae Carroll. One of his younger brothers, L.C. (1932–2017), later became a member of the doo-wop band Johnny Keyes and the Magnificents . Cooke was raised Baptist . Cooke's family moved to Chicago in 1933. There, he attended Doolittle Elementary and Wendell Phillips Academy High School ,
2016-598: The 1950s and 1970s. Evelyn and Ernie performed as members of The Freeman Family, and she also played piano in a classical ensemble. After meeting Duke Ellington after a performance, she decided that she wanted to become a bandleader, and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music . In 1938, she formed her own swing band, before graduating in 1941. Her orchestra, the Evelyn Freeman Swing Band, which also included her brother Ernie, performed regularly at
2088-577: The Beatles or Ricky Nelson, the FBI would be investigating." Sam Cooke's sister Agnes Cooke-Hoskins, still discounts the LAPD and Franklin account. 'My brother was first class all the way. He would not check into a $ 3-a-night motel; that wasn't his style', she said while attending a recent tribute to Cooke at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum I've always felt there was some sort of conspiracy there. ... I listened to
2160-701: The Billboard pop chart. It was followed by more hits, including "Sad Mood", " Cupid ", " Bring It On Home to Me " (with Lou Rawls on backing vocals), " Another Saturday Night ", and " Twistin' the Night Away ". In 1961, Cooke started his own record label, SAR Records , with J. W. Alexander and his manager, Roy Crain. The label soon included the Simms Twins, the Valentinos (who were Bobby Womack and his brothers), Mel Carter and Johnnie Taylor . Cooke then created
2232-512: The Circle Ballroom, Oster's Ballroom, and on radio station WHK , until many of its members were recruited by the US Navy . They became the first African-American Navy band, stationed in Indiana , and were nicknamed the "Gobs of Swing." Freeman herself continued to perform with a smaller group, which included Ben "Bull Moose" Jackson . After the end of World War II , she met Tommy Roberts, who had been
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2304-580: The Franklin account have also pointed out that Sam Cooke was not known to frequent places like the Hacienda motel and that it does not make any sense why he had gone there if not lured. This argumentation goes on to question why Cooke would travel so far out of his way, passing plenty of other accommodations more befitting his superstar stature just to visit a small motel with a bad reputation. The 2019 Netflix documentary ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke tells
2376-640: The Middle-Tone label. They also recorded with a vocal group, the Voices, who included Bobby Byrd and Earl Nelson of the Hollywood Flames (later Bob & Earl ). Freeman played on numerous early rock and R&B sessions in Los Angeles , California, in the 1950s, particularly on the Specialty , Modern , and Aladdin labels , as well as for white artists such as Duane Eddy and Bobby Vee . He played piano on
2448-460: The Night Away " are some of his most popular songs. Twistin' the Night Away was one of Cooke's biggest selling albums. He was also among the first modern Black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. Cooke founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. Cooke also took an active part in the civil rights movement . Sam Cooke's first pop/soul single
2520-622: The Platters ' " The Great Pretender " in 1955, and began releasing a number of instrumental records of his own, at first on Cash Records . These included "Jivin' Around" (#5 on the R&B chart in 1956). In 1956 the Ernie Freeman Combo and the Platters appeared in Columbia Pictures ' Rock Around The Clock introduced by Alan Freed . In the same year he was signed by Imperial Records , where he released 29 singles and seven LPs over
2592-717: The Young Saints performed for President Richard Nixon in the White House under Freeman Roberts' direction. In 1989, it was reported that the Young Saints had about 150 participants. In 1993, Evelyn and Tommy Roberts received the Community Service Award in the Sixth Annual NAACP Theater Awards. Evelyn and Tommy's protégés included Herb Alpert , along with members of The 5th Dimension and The Friends of Distinction . Freeman Roberts died in June 2017 at
2664-404: The age of 98. She died on her grandson-in-law's birthday. Her family members include Ethan Charles Noah Roberts, born on April 27, 2007, and Darius Jeremiah Thomas Roberts, born on June 12, 2006. Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter . Considered one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke
2736-643: The band, apart from Evelyn, joined the US Navy together, and became the first all-black Navy Band, called The Gobs of Swing with Ernie as its leader. After leaving the navy in 1945, Freeman entered the Cleveland Institute of Music , from which he graduated with a BA degree. In 1946 he moved with his family to Los Angeles, to attend the University of Southern California where he received his master's degree in music composition. In Los Angeles, he played in clubs, accompanying Dinah Washington and Dorothy Dandridge among others, as well as recording under his own name for
2808-462: The ceremony. They had three children: Linda (b. 1953), Tracy (b. 1960), and Vincent (1961–1963), who drowned in the family swimming pool. Cooke also fathered at least three other children out of wedlock. In 1958, a woman in Philadelphia, Connie Bolling, claimed Cooke was the father of her son. Cooke paid her an estimated $ 5,000 settlement out of court. In November 1958, Cooke was involved in
2880-644: The city's nightclubs scene, associating with Lionel Hampton , Ethel Waters and Cab Calloway , in addition to arranging for vaudeville acts. In the late 1950s, she reformed the Evelyn Freeman Orchestra with new members, and it backed such singers as Peggy Lee and Frankie Laine in Las Vegas . She also wrote "The Jelly Coal Man", recorded by Laine in 1959. She released a rock and roll single credited to Evelyn Freeman and The Exciting Voices , "Let's Make A Little Motion" / "Come To Me My True Love", on
2952-442: The evening. These reports claimed Boyer seemed to be enjoying herself. "I knew he was going to rape me," she told the police. According to her story, Cooke had disrobed and entered the bathroom, at which point she grabbed her clothes from a pile on the floor. In her confusion, Boyer says, she also picked up Cooke's clothes, which happened to contain his wallet and cash which she only picked up by mistake according to her. She ran down
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3024-456: The head with a broom handle. This time, he stayed down. When the police arrived, Sam Cooke was dead." [1] The LAPD at the time marked Cooke's death a justifiable homicide. Friends and family of Cooke disputed this and the police investigation into the events of the murder have been heavily criticized for various reasons. In more modern times critics have raised several concerns based on several elements that do not line up. Cooke had been shot with
3096-515: The illogical aspects of her reasoning, saying that if she had been truly frightened for her life, why would she have dropped the loaded gun she had just fired in favor of a stick? The woman appeared to have no marks or injuries when she testified before cameras five days after the murder occurred. This is surprising given the fight she described. Guests at the motel told police that they never heard any gunshots or sounds of an altercation. The singer spent his last night alive enjoying dinner at Martoni's,
3168-530: The lack of a proper investigation. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht argued in 2017 that his death was not a justifiable homicide. Cooke was ranked No. 3 in Rolling Stone ' s 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time" and No. 28 on Billboard ' s 2015 list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time". Sam Cooke was born Samuel Cook in Clarksdale, Mississippi , in 1931 (he added
3240-451: The motel, informing them that she believed a shooting had occurred." [2] Cooke's autopsy revealed a 2-inch bump on his head and a blood alcohol level of 0.16, twice the legal limit to drive. [3] Franklin claimed that after she shot him, she dropped the gun and beat him with a wooden broom handle. Criticism has been raised that the gun still contained numerous bullets. Franklin's actions has been further scrutinized, critics have highlighted
3312-488: The music industry. He rejected the routine way that black artists were cheated out of royalties – described by one contributor as “like sharecropping” – and instead started his own publishing and recording company. The week before he died, he was planning to confront his business manager Allen Klein over some paperwork (Klein would go on to screw both the Beatles and the Stones in a similar fashion; The Dubious Dealings of Allen Klein
3384-508: The newly formed Rendezvous record label. In 1961, with Palmer, Johnson, and René Hall, they began recording as B. Bumble and the Stingers , and Freeman played piano on their first hit, "Bumble Boogie" (but not their later hit, " Nut Rocker "). In the same year, Lew Bedell , the owner of Doré Records , suggested to him that he record a version of a Maxwell House advertising jingle . The record, "Percolator (Twist)", an album by Earl Palmer but
3456-518: The next seven years. His first single for the label was "Lost Dreams", which reached #7 on the R&B chart. His cover version of Bill Justis ' "Raunchy", his biggest solo success, reached #4 on the pop chart and #1 on the R&B chart in 1957. He returned to the charts in 1958, when his version of " Indian Love Call " reached #58 on the Billboard pop chart. Freeman performed for the famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. held at
3528-427: The number one spot for R&B albums. Cooke's contributions to soul music contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin , Bobby Womack , Al Green , Curtis Mayfield , Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , and Billy Preston , and popularized the work of Otis Redding and James Brown . AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder wrote that Cooke was "the inventor of soul music", and possessed "an incredible natural singing voice and
3600-565: The police, 'He fell on top of me … I tried to bite him through that jacket: biting, scratching and everything. Finally, I got up, when I kicked him … I run and grabbed the pistol off the TV, and I shot … at close range … three times.' Two of the bullets missed. But the third entered his left side, passed through his left lung, his heart and his right lung. Sam fell back and in astonishment, said what would be his last words: 'Lady, you shot me.' Franklin claims that he got up again and ran at her. She hit him over
3672-478: The recording sessions. For tax reasons, Cooke would receive preferred stock in Tracey instead of an initial cash advance of $ 100,000. He would receive cash advances of $ 100,000 for the next two years, followed by an additional $ 75,000 for each of the two option years if the deal went to term. Cooke is widely considered one of the greatest singers and most accomplished vocalists of all time. His incredibly pure tenor voice
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#17328844911403744-469: The register as man and wife. The real Mrs. Cooke, Barbara Campbell — mother to his two children, Linda and Tracey — was elsewhere, no doubt familiar with his nocturnal excursions. What happened at the hotel remains shrouded in mystery since Boyer's account is the only one that exists of what happened between her and Cooke that night, and it has long been called into question due to reports by diners at Martoni's Restaurant, where Cooke dined and drank earlier in
3816-406: The reports and I listened to the story of what happened and I can imagine Sam going after his pants. I can imagine Sam going up to the counter and saying 'Hey, somebody just took my pants.' And he's standing there, seeing the woman with his pants. I can imagine him saying 'Give me my pants.' But I can't imagine him attacking her. He wasn't that type of person to attack somebody. That wasn't his bag. He
3888-559: The same school that Nat King Cole had attended a few years earlier. Cooke sang in the choir of his father's church and began his career with his siblings in a group called the Singing Children when he was six years old. Cooke first became known as lead singer with the Highway Q.C.'s when he was a teenager, having joined the group at the age of 14. During this time, Cooke befriended fellow gospel singer and neighbor Lou Rawls , who sang in
3960-436: The singer refused to accept the official story. To them, this violent and unreasonable behavior seemed so unlike the fundamentally gentle man they knew and loved. They believe that his death was a result of setup, claiming that Boyer was a prostitute working in cahoots with the motel manager to rob Cooke. The Hacienda Motel was a well-known hub for pimps and sex workers. Boyer, according to the theory, lured him there. Critics of
4032-417: The story of night Sam Cooke was shot and points out that the murder is yet to be fully and thoroughly investigated. It explores the mystery behind the murder through interviews with family, friends, journalists and academics as well as archival footage. Crime scene photos appear to show abrasions on Cooke's body. Singer Etta James , who viewed Cooke's body at his funeral, wrote in her memoir that Cooke's head
4104-401: The street to a nearby phone booth and called the police, telling the dispatcher that she had been kidnapped by Sam Cooke. Speaking in the 2017 documentary Lady You Shot Me, forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht argued that Cooke's death was not justifiable homicide because Cooke, wearing a sport coat and nothing else, "had no weapon and Franklin was not in fear of her life." Most who knew
4176-767: The title "The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett" that featured a who's who of Los Angeles session musicians, Tommy Tedesco , Laurindo Almeida , Howard Roberts , Bob Bain , and Barney Kessel , among many, many others. As a footnote, "National City" by the Joiner Arkansas Junior High School Band charted at 53 in May 1960 was made by a group of studio musicians led by Freeman. Freeman also composed music for several films, including The Cool Ones (1967), The Double Man (1967), The Pink Jungle (1968), and Duffy (1968); and arranged Carol Burnett 's 1972 Columbia Records album Carol Burnett Featuring If I Could Write
4248-563: The winner of the Miss Cavalcade of Jazz beauty contest. The event featured the top four prominent disc jockeys of Los Angeles. Cooke signed with the RCA Victor record label in January 1960, having been offered an advance of $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 1 million in 2023) by the label's producers Hugo & Luigi . One of his first RCA Victor singles was " Chain Gang ", which reached No. 2 on
4320-530: Was "Lovable" (1956), a remake of the gospel song "Wonderful". It was released under the alias "Dale Cook" in order not to alienate his gospel fan base; there was a considerable stigma against gospel singers performing secular music. However, it fooled no one — his unique and distinctive vocals were easily recognized. Art Rupe , head of Specialty Records, the label of the Soul Stirrers, gave his blessing for Cooke to record secular music under his real name, but he
4392-498: Was "practically disconnected from his shoulders. That's how badly he'd been beaten. His hands were broken and crushed…They tried to cover it up with makeup, but I could see massive bruises on his head. No woman with a broomstick could have inflicted that kind of beating against a strong, full-grown man." . None of the injuries James reported seeing were mentioned in Cooke's autopsy report. The discrepancies have led many to wonder if Cooke
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#17328844911404464-492: Was 22-year-old Elisa Boyer. Cooke and Schmitt made plans to meet up at a nightclub called PJ's later that night. "But Sam never showed up," Schmitt, 90, tells PEOPLE. "So I went home. I was told later he got there about 15 minutes later, just before closing time, and they wouldn't let him in. He was with this girl." Cooke drove Boyer 15 miles south to the Hacienda Motel, where they checked in just after 2:35 a.m., signing
4536-526: Was a lover, OK. He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a boxer. You never heard of Sam Cooke beating up his women. I would say within the community there is not a single person that believes that Sam Cooke died as he is said to have died: killed by a motel owner at a cheap motel in Los Angeles called the Hacienda which he had gone to with a prostitute named Elisa Boyer. Ellen E Jones writes for the Guardian in 2019 saying " Cooke's courage also manifested in his approach to
4608-486: Was big, velvety and expansive, with an instantly recognizable tone. Cooke's pitch was remarkable, and his manner of singing was effortlessly soulful. Cooke could go as high as high C without losing purity or volume, and his upper mid-range was coated in a unique rasp. Cooke's vocal style was very adaptable, adopting a rather classical sound on jazz and pop songs while maintaining his trademark stylistic soulful hold on R&B, gospel and soul music. Cooke's delivery encompassed
4680-547: Was held on December 18, 1964, at A. R. Leak Funeral Home in Chicago; 200,000 fans lined up for more than four city blocks to view his body. Afterward, Cooke's body was flown back to Los Angeles for a second service, at the Mount Sinai Baptist Church on December 19, which included a much-heralded performance of "The Angels Keep Watching Over Me" by Ray Charles , who stood in for a grief-stricken Bessie Griffin . Cooke
4752-669: Was inaccurately credited to Billy Joe & the Checkmates. Earl's album rose to no.10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1962. Freeman also performed with and arranged for the Routers and their parallel group the Marketts . He continued a successful session career in the 1960s, arranging and appearing on material by Frank Sinatra (" That's Life ", " Strangers in the Night "), Connie Francis (" Jealous Heart ", "Addio, mi' amore"), Dean Martin (" Everybody Loves Somebody ", " Somewhere There's
4824-512: Was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California . Two singles and an album were released in the month after Cooke's death. One of the singles, " Shake ", reached the top ten of both the pop and R&B charts. The B-side, " A Change Is Gonna Come ", is considered a classic protest song from the era of the civil rights movement . It was a Top 40 pop hit and a top 10 R&B hit. The album, also titled Shake , reached
4896-430: Was killed elsewhere, by a third party, before his body was dumped at the Hacienda Motel. Rumors have swirled about the circumstances regarding Cooke's death. Some blamed his business manager, Allen Klein , a notoriously ruthless music industry shark, claiming that he wanted to wrest control of Cooke's millions. Klein owned Tracey Ltd, which ultimately owned all rights to Cooke's recordings. However, no evidence supporting
4968-535: Was married twice. His first marriage was to singer-dancer Dolores Elizabeth Milligan Cooke, who took the stage name "Dee Dee Mohawk" in 1953; they divorced in 1958. She was killed in an auto collision in Fresno, California , in 1959. Although Cooke and Dolores were divorced, he paid for his ex-wife's funeral expenses. In 1958, Cooke married his second wife, Barbara Campbell (1935–2021), in Chicago . His father performed
5040-440: Was often credited for bringing gospel music to the attention of a younger crowd of listeners, mainly girls who would rush to the stage when the Soul Stirrers hit the stage just to get a glimpse of him. Cooke had 30 U.S. top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964, plus three more posthumously. Major hits like " You Send Me ", " A Change Is Gonna Come ", " Cupid ", " Chain Gang ", " Wonderful World ", " Another Saturday Night ", and " Twistin'
5112-489: Was shot and killed on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel at 91st and South Figueroa streets in South Central Los Angeles . Answering separate reports of a shooting and a kidnapping at the motel, police found Cooke's body. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, which was later determined to have pierced his heart. The motel's manager, Bertha Franklin, said she shot Cooke in self-defense. "Franklin, though shorter than Sam, outweighed him by about 30 pounds. She told
5184-404: Was unhappy about the type of music Cooke and producer Bumps Blackwell were making. Rupe expected Cooke's secular music to be similar to that of another Specialty Records artist, Little Richard . When Rupe walked in on a recording session and heard Cooke singing Gershwin , he was quite upset. After an argument between Rupe and Blackwell, Cooke and Blackwell left the label. "Lovable" was neither
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