Alysia Williams

The REAL Sam Cooke

To say that Sam Cooke is the Godfather of soul is to sell his legacy short. Sam Cooke wore many hats and was a man amazing of complexity. Sam's life is as brief and spectacular as it was a maze of complexity, starting with his home life. Sam came from a very devout Christian baptist family. Sam's interest in music was rooted in southern gospel soul music. Sam started playing the piano in the church and singing in the choir. Sam had a natural charisma for engaging the audience with his raw singing abilities. However, Sam's hidden passion for helping his community is only sometimes known. Sam loved his community. He loved black people and black culture in general. His activism eventually led him to meet Malcolm X and then Muhammed Ali. These three, very influential and powerful in their respective fields, were forming a plan that would not only assist with the civil rights movement but would permanently transform the black community forever. However, Cooke would never get this chance after his life was tragically cut short under very suspicious circumstances.