Since we commemorated the death of one popular singer/songwriter yesterday (who I thought was a great talent), I must ask this question. Can we do the same for another great talent (singer/songwriter) who influenced him and died in the same tragic way?
Monday will be the 42nd anniversary of the killing of Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke has been mostly forgotten, yet, he may have had more influence on today's music than anyone. I know most people will call me absurd, that Lennon was universally loved. That he and the Beatles did more for music than anyone else. How can I compare the two, etc..... John Lennon was a great talent, I liked much of his music. However, the king of soul music in the 50s and early 60s was Sam Cooke.
Sam Cooke was the first to write and produce the songs he wrote. The list of people his music influenced James Taylor, John Mayer, Rod Stewart, The Animals, Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Perry, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, Al Green, and many more, is testament to his legacy in the history of rock and roll. The recent Kennedy Center Awards last Sunday bestowed the honor on maybe the greatest poet in America (as per Bob Dylan) who was so influenced by Sam Cooke, he wrote as an answer to Bring It On Home To Me (You've Really Got A Hold On Me), a song which even Lennon re-recorded on the With The Beatles album.
I do realize to compare John Lennon and his contribution to music with an African American who is not as well known is superfluous. I am not arguing the point. I would never argue about how influential John Lennon was to billions of people world wide, both spiritually, politically and musically. However, to this Lennon fan (I personally liked George Harrison more because of his activism in Bangladesh), I would be remiss if I did not remember the great Sam Cooke. A voice, a songwriter, a talent who should not be forgotten.
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come