Sam Cooke

Samuel Cooke (né Cook; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American soul singer and songwriter. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential soul artists of all time and is often referred to as the "King of Soul" due to his distinctive vocal style, contributions to the development of the genre, and impact on popular music. During his thirteen-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as 20 singles that reached the Top 10 of Billboard's Black Singles chart.