The late Sam Moore.
Credit: s_bukley – Shutterstock
Sam Moore, one half of the groundbreaking Southern Soul duo, Sam and Dave, has died aged 89.
Famed for such great Soul classics as Hold On, I’m Coming, Soul Man, You Don’t Know Like I know, and Soothe Me, passed away due to post-surgery complications.
Moore, the higher voice of the duo, who was credited with having had a profound influence on the likes of Michael Jackson, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen, was entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 with Dave Prater, his former singing partner.
Sam and Dave second only to Otis Redding at Stax
The two started at Stax Records in Memphis and were only second in popularity to Otis Redding. Sam and Dave brought the gospel style performance to their frenzied stage performances and recorded many of Soul music’s most loved tunes.
Like many of the greats from the 1960s, Sam and Dave’s popularity didn’t survive the 1970s, and the two faded from the pubic eye until the movie Blues Brothers came out in 1980 when Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi performed with many of the house musicians from Stax Records, the backing band of Sam and Dave. The movie also featured their song Soothe Me.
Moore was born on October 12, 1935, in Miami and developed his singing talent in church. Sam and Dave performed in Florida clubs separately in the 1950s, but never got together until 1961 in Miami. Their popularity was almost instant. They were signed in 1965 by Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler, who sent them to Memphis to record with Stax Records. Their relationship was mostly rocky, and the duo were often seen arguing. They split in 1970 and never had another hit.
Towards the end of his career, Sam Moore mostly worked on cruise ships, at one point opening for a group of Elvis impersonators.
Sam Moore is survived by his wife, Joyce, daughter, Michell, and two grandchildren.
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