Sam Cooke parents: Meet Charles Cooke, Annie Mae

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Sam Cooke was the stage name for Samuel Cook, an American singer and songwriter who was born on January 22, 1931, and passed away on December 11, 1964. Cooke is frequently referred to as the “King of Soul” for his distinctive vocals, significant contributions to the genre, and importance in popular music.

He is regarded as a pioneer and one of the most important soul performers of all time. The manager of a Los Angeles motel shot and killed Cooke in 1964. Following an investigation and inquest, the courts determined that Cooke’s death was a justified homicide. His death’s circumstances have since been questioned by his family.

Sam Cooke parents: Meet Charles Cooke, Annie Mae

Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, as Samuel Cook in 1931. (he added the “e” to his last name in 1957 to signify a new start to his life).

He was the sixth of Charles Cook’s eight children, a pastor in the Church of Christ (Holiness), and Annie Mae’s family. L.C. (1932-2017), one of his younger brothers, eventually joined the doo-wop group Johnny Keyes and the Magnificents.

In 1933, the family relocated to Chicago.

Cook attended the same Chicago schools as Nat “King” Cole did a few years prior: Doolittle Elementary and Wendell Phillips Academy High School. When he was six years old, Cooke started his career alongside his siblings in a group named the Singing Children.

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