author
Samuel Cook
A smooth-voiced pioneer of soul music, he moved from gospel fame with the Soul Stirrers to pop success with songs like "You Send Me" and "A Change Is Gonna Come." His recordings helped shape modern soul, R&B, and pop.
1 Audiobook
The Jenolan Caves: An Excursion in Australian Wonderland
by Samuel Cook
About the author
Born Samuel Cook in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1931, he grew up in Chicago and first gained attention as a gospel singer. He became a standout member of the Soul Stirrers before crossing into secular music, where his warm voice and graceful phrasing quickly made him a star.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he recorded a run of influential hits including "You Send Me," "Cupid," "Chain Gang," and "Bring It On Home to Me." He is widely remembered as one of the key artists who helped define soul music, blending gospel feeling with pop reach.
His career was cut short by his death in 1964, but his music has remained deeply influential. "A Change Is Gonna Come," released around the end of his life, endures as one of his most admired songs and a lasting part of American music history.