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Sam Moore | |
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 Moore in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel David Moore |
| Born | October 12, 1935 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1961–present |
Samuel David Moore (born October 12, 1935) is an American singer who was best known as a member of the soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave from 1961 to 1981. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for "Soul Man"), and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Moore is best known for his work as Sam of the soul music duo Sam & Dave, where he was the higher tenor voice. Moore has performed in concerts, ranging from the Atlantic Records 40th anniversary party in 1988, to the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the SXSW Music Industry conference in 2006. Moore has also performed in various venues ranging from the tribute for Elvis Presley in 1994, to the Grammy Awards 2006 tribute to Wilson Pickett, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006 for Smokey Robinson. Moore has also partnered with other famous recording artists, including Conway Twitty, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Elton John, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, Mariah Carey, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, and others on various live and recorded performances.
Music critic Dave Marsh, a close friend of Moore and the editor and co-writer of Moore's book, wrote about Moore in 2002 calling Moore "The Greatest Living Soul Singer." In 2006, Moore received a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) lifetime achievement award in the UK.
Sam Moore and Dave Prater were both experienced gospel music singers, having performed individually with groups the Sensational Hummingbirds and the Melionaires. They met in The King of Hearts Club in Miami in 1961, where they were discovered by regional producer Henry Stone who signed them to Roulette Records. After modest success at Roulette, they were signed by Jerry Wexler to Atlantic Records in 1964, then being "loaned" out to Stax Records to produce, record and release their records.
The duo's November 1965 single, "You Don't Know Like I Know", started a series of ten straight top twenty Billboard R&B hits that included "Hold On! I'm Comin'" (1966), "You Got Me Hummin' (1966), "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1967), "Soul Man" (1967), and "I Thank You" (1968). Most of their hits were penned by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. In most of the recordings they were also backed by Hayes on piano with Booker T and the MGs and The Memphis Horns. The ending of their association with the Stax record label and their frequently volatile relationship contributed to their first break-up in 1970.
Sam & Dave performed throughout most of the 1970s until 1981, and enjoyed a brief resurgence in popularity due to the Blues Brothers's 1979 recording of "Soul Man". Their last performance together was on December 31, 1981, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. On April 9, 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia.
Moore began his solo career after breaking up with Prater in June 1970. He formed a new act called "Sam's Soul Together 1970 Review," which featured singer Brenda Jo Harris and a 16-piece orchestra. [1] Moore released three singles on Atlantic Records between 1970 and 1971. These singles, along with other recordings made during that period, were to be released on an album produced by King Curtis. However in August 1971, King Curtis was murdered, and the album was shelved. Moore reunited with Prater in August 1971 and the two performed and recorded together over the next decade.
Moore toured with other soul artists including Wilson Pickett in Europe in the spring of 1982; he married his wife Joyce McRae in Europe. She helped Moore overcome a lengthy battle with drug addiction during this period of time which the couple later discussed in detail in Moore's book Sam & Dave - An Oral History, co-written with Dave Marsh and published in 1997. Moore not only went public with his addiction in 1983, but also became a strong anti-drug advocate and worked as a volunteer for anti-drug programs. McRae also became and is presently his business manager, and has worked together with Sam to advocate for artist's rights, royalties and pension payments.
Moore later claimed it was difficult for him to find steady performing work during much of the 1980s, because bookers wanted "Sam & Dave" and Moore wanted to be a solo artist. Additionally, Prater hired Sam Daniels in 1982 to perform the "Sam" part for the Sam & Dave act and thus, according to Moore, limited his opportunities to play as a solo artist. Moore pursued Prater legally to stop performing using his name, and was successful in getting an injunction against them performing in a few individual cities and counties. However, there is no national law compelling bands to disclose whether they comprise the original members or not. Moore formed an organization "Artists and Others Against Imposters" and testified before Congress on the topic in 1989.
In 1984, Moore performed on the Don Henley album, Building the Perfect Beast on a song called "You Must Not Be Drinkin' Enough". In 1986, Moore re-recorded "Soul Man" with Lou Reed for the film of the same name. The song reached No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart. In April 1988, Moore joined the Elwood Blues Revue which featured Dan Aykroyd and The Blues Brothers Band.
Moore appeared with Junior Walker in the 1988 film Tapeheads , which featured Moore and Walker as the legendary soul duo "The Swanky Modes". Sam appeared on Late Night with David Letterman with Junior Walker later that year and performed the song "Ordinary Man" from the film. Their pairing was notable, as it was one of the few instances where performers from the Motown & Stax camps performed or recorded together.
In 1990, Moore toured in Europe with Booker T. & The MG's, Carla Thomas, and Eddie Floyd. One of these performances from the Monaco Soul Festival, was captured on film and broadcast in France. In 1991, Moore recorded several songs on Red, Hot & Blues with Republican Party official and avid bluesman, Lee Atwater. Moore also was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1991 to acknowledge his lifetime contributions.
Moore and Prater (posthumously) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on January 15, 1992, and Moore brought Hayes and Porter onstage with him at the ceremony to recognize his former songwriting and producing partners' contributions. He also brought David Prater, Jr. (Dave's eldest son) to the ceremony to acknowledge his former singing partner. Shortly after the induction, Moore announced plans to record a solo LP, featuring duets with Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and others. In 1992, Moore recorded several songs with Springsteen for his Human Touch album. Moore also had a hit in 1994 with the Conway Twitty duet "Rainy Night In Georgia".
Moore continued to tour through the 1990s. He released "I'm a Dole Man" in 1996, with the "Soul Man" lyrics rewritten, for presidential candidate Bob Dole to play at voter rallies. The owners of the publishing rights to "Soul Man"'' did not agree with the claim that it was fair use of the song as a parody, and forced the campaign to stop using it.
In 1998, Moore appeared in the movie Blues Brothers 2000 playing the role of the Reverend Morris, fulfilling a childhood dream of being a preacher, and sang "John the Revelator". In 1999, "Soul Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame to recognize timeless classics.
In 2002 Moore's solo album, recorded in 1971 but never released, finally hit the record stores. Plenty Good Lovin′, produced by King Curtis and featuring Aretha Franklin on piano, garnered a four-star review from USA Today. [2]
In 2002, Moore starred in the D. A. Pennebaker-directed documentary Only the Strong Survive (Miramax). The film was a selection of both the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals in 2002. In the film Moore chronicles his previous drug use. [3]
In 2003, the Stax Museum opened in Memphis and Sam & Dave are featured prominently in the film made for the museum, Soulsville, and are honored with a permanent wall display and video display.
In December 2004, Rolling Stone magazine named "Soul Man" as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and Moore was a featured guest performer at Bruce Springsteen's 2003 Asbury Park Christmas shows. In the same year, Moore was featured in an episode of the Legends Rock TV Show which was produced by Megabien Entertainment. [4]
On August 29, 2006, Moore released his first solo album, Overnight Sensational which was produced by Randy Jackson and featuring Sting, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Fantasia, and 20 other guest stars (produced with and available on Rhino Records). The album received some positive critical reviews, most notably for the song "You Are So Beautiful", which featured Moore, Billy Preston and Eric Clapton that received a Grammy Award nomination.
In 2008, Moore sent a cease and desist letter to the Barack Obama campaign to stop the use of his material at rallies for Obama's presidential campaign. [5] In January 2009, Moore performed with Sting and Elvis Costello at the Creative Coalition's Presidential Inaugural Ball for Barack Obama. In December 2008, Sam & Dave: The Original Soul Men DVD was released in the US, featuring video performances of Sam & Dave from 1966 to 1980. [6]
In February 2009, Moore filed suit against Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the producers of Soul Men , a comedy starring Bernie Mac claiming the film was based on the careers of Sam & Dave. [7]
At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert held at Madison Square Garden on October 29 and 30, 2009, Hall of Fame inductee (1992) Sam Moore performed the Sam & Dave hits "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin'" with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.
On November 22, 2013, Moore performed in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, at the tribute concert for George Jones.
On April 4, 2014, Sam Moore released "They Killed a King", a tribute song to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968). [8] Moore re-recorded the song on January 17–18, 2014, at the Royal Studios in Memphis, together with Michael Toles, Charles Hodges, Leroy Hodges, Steve Potts, Mark Plati, and Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell. The song was arranged by Lester Snell and produced by Mark Plati and Firmin Michiels. It was written (lyrics and music) in May 1968 by singer-songwriters Bobbejaan Schoepen (Belgium) and Jimmy James Ross (aka Mel Turner, born in Trinidad-Tobago). After four decades the song was rediscovered. [9] [10]
On January 19, 2017, Moore sang a rendition of "America the Beautiful" at incoming President Donald Trump's inaugural concert in Washington. Before his performance, Moore stated that he was "honored" to be a part of the ceremony and would not give in to pressure from left-wing activists to cancel his performance.
On September 1, 2017, age 81, Moore performed live at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra in a tribute concert to 50 years of Stax Records.
On January 26, 2018, Moore performed "Soul Man" live along with Michael McDonald at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California on the Yamaha Grand Stage.
In 2022, Moore joined Bruce Springsteen on his soul cover album for two songs, "Soul Days" and "I Forgot to Be Your Lover."
On April 25, 2023, Moore joined a large cast of country performers honoring George Jones at the Still Playin' Possum concert at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he sang "The Blues Man".
| Title | Details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US R&B [11] | ||
| Overnight Sensational |
| 90 |
| Title | Details |
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| Papa Soul's Christmas |
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| This Christmas |
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| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "I Can't Stand the Rain" | Overnight Sensational |
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak position (CAN AC) [12] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Rainy Night in Georgia" | Conway Twitty | 33 | Rhythm, Country and Blues |
| Year | Video |
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| 1994 | "Rainy Night in Georgia" (with Conway Twitty) |
| Year | Video |
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| 2014 | "They Killed A King" (A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) |
Wilson Pickett was an American singer and songwriter.
Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental R&B/funk band that was influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). In the 1960s, as members of the Mar-Keys, the rotating slate of musicians that served as the house band of Stax Records, they played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Albert King. They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "Green Onions". As originators of the unique Stax sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era.
Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988).
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, serving as both an in-house songwriter and as a session musician and record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Hayes and Porter were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others. In 2002, Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess Records and Sun Records in the 1950s, before becoming established in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records. His dance records, including "Walking the Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969), and "(Do the) Push and Pull" (1970), were some of his most successful songs. According to the Mississippi Blues Commission, "Rufus Thomas embodied the spirit of Memphis music perhaps more than any other artist, and from the early 1940s until his death . . . occupied many important roles in the local scene."
Steven Lee Cropper, sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 36th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, while he has won two Grammy Awards from his seven nominations.
Charles "Skip" Pitts was an American soul and blues guitarist. He is best known for his distinctive "wah-wah" style, prominently featured on Isaac Hayes' title track from the 1971 movie Shaft. He is widely considered to have been one of the architects of soul, R&B and funk guitar.
Donald "Duck" Dunn was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records, including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Bill Withers, Elvis Presley, and many others. In 1992, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In 2017, he was ranked 40th on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on his 1965 album of the same name, also appearing on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. The song was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis, later the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Pickett's first hit on Atlantic Records, it reached number one on the R&B charts and peaked at number 21 on the pop charts.
Eddie Lee Floyd is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 R&B hit song "Knock on Wood".
William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for his debut single, 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".
David Porter is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
"Soul Man" is a 1967 song written and composed by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, first successful as a number 2 hit single by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, which consisted of Samuel "Sam" Moore and David "Dave" Prater. In 2019, "Soul Man" was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress. It was No. 463 in "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone in 2010 and No. 458 in 2004.
"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" is a classic hit song, a soul ballad, written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. It was first released in 1967 by Sam & Dave on Stax Records.
David Prater Jr. was an American Southern soul and rhythm & blues singer and musician, who was the deeper baritone/tenor vocalist of the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 until his death in 1988. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1992), the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (1997), and he was a Grammy Award–winning (1967) and multiple Gold Record award-winning recording artist.
"I Thank You" is a song written by David Porter and Isaac Hayes originally recorded by Sam & Dave, released in early 1968. The single was Sam & Dave's final release on Stax Records, reaching #9 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #4 on the R&B chart. Shortly after its release, Stax severed its distribution deal with Atlantic Records and Sam & Dave, who were actually signed to Atlantic and loaned out to Stax, began recording for Atlantic proper. The song begins with Sam's spoken introduction that goes: "I want everybody to get off your seat,/ And get your arms together,/ And your hands together,/ And give me some of that old soul clapping". First, Sam sings the refrain, plus the first verse, and the refrain, while Dave sings the second verse, the refrain, and the third verse, with both Sam and Dave sharing on the repeated "Thank Yous" portion. Following a brief instrumental, Sam sings the refrain, with Dave, joining him, on the Coda with the repeated "thank yous".
Al Bell is an American record producer, songwriter, and record executive. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence.
"Hold On, I'm Comin'" is a 1966 single recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
Hold On, I'm Comin' is the 1966 debut album by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
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