Photo: RB/Redferns/Retna

Born January 22nd, 1931 (died December 11th, 1964) Key Tracks "A Change Is Gonna Come," "Bring It on Home to Me," "You Send Me" Influenced Otis Redding, Art Garfunkel, Rod Stewart

If a singer is not singing from the soul, I do not even want to listen to it — it's not for me.

Sam Cooke reached down deep with pure soul. He had the rare ability to do gospel the way it's supposed to be — he made it real, clean, direct. Gospel drove Sam Cooke through his greatest songs, the same way it did for Ray Charles, who came first, and Otis Redding.

He had an incomparable voice. Sam Cooke could sing anything and make it work. But when you're talking about his strength as a singer, range is not relevant. It was his power to deliver — it was about his phrasing, the totality of his singing.

He did a lot of great songs, but "Bring It on Home to Me" is a favorite. It's just a well-crafted song with a great lyric and melody. It's a song that's written to allow you to go wherever you can with it. "A Change Is Gonna Come" is another song I covered; it's a great arrangement.

Not many people can play this music anymore, not the way Sam Cooke did it, coming directly from the church. What can we learn from a singer like him, from listening to songs like "A Change Is Gonna Come"? It depends on who the singer is and what they are capable of, where their head is and how serious they are. But Sam Cooke was born to sing.

1. A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Bring It on Home to Me
3. You Send Me
4. (What a) Wonderful World
5. Having a Party
6. That's Where It's At
7. Another Saturday Night
8. Frankie and Johnnie
9. Twistin' the Night Away
10. Chain Gang

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