Sam Moore. Photo: Jeremy Westby
Legendary soul man Sam Moore passed away on Friday (Jan. 10) in Coral Gables, Florida from complications following a surgery. He was 89.
Moore was half of the Grammy-winning duo Sam & Dave of the 1960s. The duo recorded classic hits including “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming,” “I Thank You” and many more, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 1992.
Born in 1935, Moore grew up in Miami and began singing in church. Sam Cooke heard him and thought Moore would be a perfect replacement for him as the lead in the gospel group The Soul Stirrers, but when Moore saw Jackie Wilson perform at the Nightbeat, he realized he wanted to sing pop instead and struck out on his own. He became the singing emcee and talent show host at the King O’ Hearts Club, which is where he met Dave Prater, who tried out for the club’s talent show. Stage magic led to the formation of the duo.
Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler from Atlantic Records saw Sam & Dave in late 1964 at the King O’ Hearts where they had become locally famous. In 1965 they were signed to Atlantic Records and Wexler loaned the duo to Atlantic’s southern production arm, Stax Records where they were introduced to Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They released a string of hits and became internationally famous, and were so revered that they were among the few stars who were asked to perform at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden in 1968.
The duo broke up in 1970 and shortly after Moore re-signed to Atlantic and recorded his solo album, produced by King Curtis. Curtis was murdered on August 13, 1971, and the album was completed but Wexler chose to shelve it, depriving Moore of his solo launch. He reunited with Dave for a few years in the late 1970’s but broke up for good New Years Eve 1982 in San Francisco. Moore struggled with heroin addiction after being introduced to the drug in the early 1960’s. He married Joyce McRae in 1982, who became his manager and advocate and ultimately got Sam into a program, ultimately saving his life.
Moore enjoyed success in country music in 1994 with his duet of “Rainy Night In Georgia” with Conway Twitty, which earned them a Platinum record as well as two CMA Award nominations.
He began a celebrated solo career at that point and over the years became a mainstay performer at the Kennedy Center. He has performed for six presidents, including Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. At Dan Aykroyd’s 50th birthday, Sam performed with Clinton, who played the saxophone to accompany him.
More than once, Bruce Springsteen introduced Moore as “The greatest living soul singer on the planet!” Springsteen invited him to sing on his Human Touch album, and again in 2023 on his collection of R&B covers Only the Strong Survive. When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its 25th birthday at Madison Square Garden, Springsteen featured Moore. Moore’s legacy as a solo artist was cemented when he was finally able to recover and release the King Curtis album, Plenty Good Loving, in 2002. In 2006, he released his first album in thirty years, Overnight Sensational, which featured Springsteen, Sting, Bon Jovi and other stars. He was nominated for a Grammy Award with Billy Preston on their duet of “You Are So Beautiful.”
Moore was also a vocal advocate for the rights of performers. With his wife, he testified often in Washington for a performer’s royalty on songs played on radio. He earned a star in Nashville’s Walk of Fame Park in 2016 alongside Alabama. In recent years, he received a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. His voice was also featured in a Starbucks commercial featuring the Sam & Dave version of “Hold On I’m Coming.” Eddie Murphy requested Moore perform at his Kennedy Center Mark Twain award.
Moore is survived by his wife Joyce, daughter Michelle, and grandchildren Tash and Misha. Services have not yet been announced.
