Sam Cooke Archives - Roy Shuler - Actor. Print Model. Blogger. Voice Actor. Inspirational Speaker.

Happy Birthday, Sam Cooke

Roy / January 4, 2023

A few weeks ago, Rolling Stone Magazine released its 200 Greatest Singers List. In what is certain to spur a number of spirited debates, this list will make news for who it excludes as much as for who it includes – and where they are placed. On a personal note, I’m delighted to see that many of of my favorites made the cut: Frank Sinatra, David Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Solomon Burke, Steve Perry, the tragically under-appreciated Clyde McPhatter, Jackie Wilson and Gladys Knight (did they really place 100+ singers ahead of them 🤔?) Teddy Pendergrass, Dion, Amy Winehouse, and a few others. Still, from my perspective, the likes of Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops, Marvin Junior of The Dells, Sting, and Sananda Maitreya (formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby) would’ve been welcome additions. But make no mistake about it: on this 92nd anniversary of his birth, I’m here to talk about Sam Cooke. Reflect, if you will, on the fact that a voice that was silenced 58 years ago the 11th of last month in a still controversial shooting was ranked #3, behind Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, respectively – two still relatively contemporary voices who left us in 2018 and 2012. The man hasn’t sung a note in almost six decades. To borrow a quote that accompanied the list: “There is American popular music before Sam Cooke and popular music after.” Joe Gross, Rolling Stone Magazine It’s somewhat redemptive to see the ‘pundits’ confirm what 10,000+ members of Facebook’s Sam Cooke Club have known all along. That’s a #1 in our book. Happy Birthday, Sam 🎉

Blog, Uncategorized

The Black Sinatra

Roy / December 11, 2022

For those who really know me, this finding by the folks at Spotify (watch until the end) is no surprise. On this 58th anniversary of his shocking killing, an event that preceded my birth by five-and-a-half months, Sam Cooke has had a profound influence on my thinking and on my aspirations as well as my musical tastes, and, as a vocalist of the first order, on generations of singers worldwide. A Gospel music phenom as a teenager, in seven short years as a secular singer that began with the release of the self-penned classic “You Send Me” in September 1957, Sam managed to carve out a distinctive career as a pioneering Pop, Soul, and R&B singer and songwriter, and, as an entrepreneur that is revered to this day. After President-Elect Barack Obama quoted a line from his magnum opus ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ on Election Night 2008, courtesy of various interpretations on YouTube, TikTok, and beyond, that song is as popular as it ever has been. Here’s what Pop crooner Michael Bublé said about Sam in an interview earlier this year: He also lauds everyone from Pink to Eminem, but saves his highest praise for Sam Cooke, whom he calls “the greatest voice in the history of music.” “It might sound strange for some of you listening out there, [but] I’ve always considered myself a soul singer,” he says. “When people tried to put me into a box and asked me what I was, well, soul singer was always what I wanted to be and who I felt I was. And one of the big reasons for that is Sam Cooke, the greatest voice in the history of music. Not the genre, not a genre, not soul, not R&B. I think music. Sam Cooke was a very special, special performer, a special writer, an incredible human being.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Blog, Music

Black Rock & Roll

Roy / June 1, 2022

Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? Well, in commemoration of the launch of Black Music Month, humbly, allow me to demystify this for you. In launching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986, six of the 10 charter performing members were Black: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Richard Penniman, better known as Little Richard. The following year, 10 of the next 15 performing inductees were also Black: The Coasters, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson. So statistically, almost two-thirds of the individuals who pundits deemed were at the foundation of what is referred to as Rock and Roll emanated from folks who are not traditionally associated with the genre. Now mind you, I’m a fan of all kinds of music and artists. I admire and am a fan of Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, The Police, Journey, Sting, and the like; White artists who are more often associated with the term ‘Rock and Roll.’ But let’s not be confused. It is commonly known that the origins of this music were the ‘sanitized’ reinterpretations of Rhythm and Blues, music made primarily by Black artists. None other than charter member Ray Charles said it this way. So, should you choose to visit the website for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and see names like Jay Z, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy, kindly go back to the roots.

Blog, Uncategorized

🎵 Play that one called ‘Soul Twist, play that one called ‘I Know’…🎵

Roy / April 23, 2022

Some may recognize those words as lyrics from Sam Cooke‘s hit song ‘Havin’ A Party,’ one of many, that was released 60 years ago that hit #17 and #4 on the Billboard Pop and R&B Charts, respectively. Sam was talking about playing records, the dominant form of music during that time. Well, many may be surprised to know that vinyl records, once considered a thing of the past upon the arrival of compact discs, then, digital formats, have been making a steady comeback for the past 15 years. According to the folks Statista, for the first time in three decades, last year album sales exceeded CD sales! Today is Record Store Day, an annual event that began back in 2007. According to their website: “Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today there are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica.” In addition to classic releases, many contemporary artists acknowledge the day by releasing limited versions of their current releases. Check out their website to see if there are participating record stores in your area!