Under the Hood: Aretha Franklin on Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke became legendary during his short time in this world. As a child, he was a member of the gospel group The Singing Children. Then as a teenager he led the Highway QC’s before getting his break in the Soul Stirrers at age 19. Sam Cooke was so popular in the gospel world that when he started singing pop, he had to record under a fake name so he would not anger his fans. But there was no stopping his talent, and Sam eventually left the Soul Stirrers to become a pop star. Aretha Franklin was a close friend of Sam Cooke, and she witnessed his passion.

“Very, very exciting. And you got caught up in whatever it was he was singing. If you came in the building and you weren’t happy when you got there, when he finished that you were happy. If he was jubilant about it, he conveyed and transmitted and passed that on to you. And the audience got it. They just got it every time.” - Aretha Franklin