Sam Moore, one-half of the Grammy-winning R&B duo Sam & Dave behind ’60s hits “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming” and “I Thank You,” died this morning in Coral Gables, Fla. at the age of 89.
The cause of death was listed as complications recovering from surgery.
Born in 1935, Moore grew up in Miami’s Overtown and Liberty City neighborhoods and began his musical journey in church. Upon becoming the singing MC and talent show host at Miami’s King O’ Hearts Club, he met Dave Prater, a local baker who tried out for the club’s talent show. Thus was the genesis of Sam & Dave, who were eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
After being discovered in late 1964 at the club, where they had become locally known, Sam & Dave were signed to Atlantic Records. Jerry Wexler loaned the duo to Atlantic’s southern production arm, Stax Records. Thereafter followed a string of hits and international stardom; the duo were so revered that they were among the few stars who were asked to perform at Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden in 1968.
Though the group broke up in 1970, they saw renewed interest thanks to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s cover of the Grammy-winning “Soul Man,” performed as The Blues Brothers on Saturday Night Live.
In the ’70s, Moore was re-signed to Atlantic and recorded his solo album, produced by King Curtis with Donnie Hathaway, featuring Aretha Franklin on piano as a guest artist. However, Curtis was murdered on Aug. 13, 1971, resulting in the album’s shelving. Sam & Dave subsequently reunited for a few years in the late 1970’s, breaking up for good New Year’s Eve 1982.
Over the years, Moore became a mainstay at the Kennedy Center, performing for six presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. More than once, Bruce Springsteen has dubbed Moore as “the greatest living soul singer on the planet,” collaborating with him on a couple of occasions.
The Curtis album, Plenty Good Loving, was finally released in 2002. In 2006, Moore returned with his first album in thirty years, Overnight Sensational, which featured Springsteen, Sting, Bon Jovi and others, produced by American Idol’s Randy Jackson. He was nominated for a Grammy Award with Billy Preston on their duet “You Are So Beautiful.”
In recent years, Moore received a Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys and continued to perform until the pandemic. Until his death, Moore was working on a gospel album with Rudy Perez dedicated to his mother, per his obituary.
He is survived by his wife Joyce McRae, whom he married in 1982, their daughter Michelle and grandchildren Tash and Misha.
