Sam Cooke, 1931-1964: A Singer Who Crossed Racial Lines

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: I'm Shirley Griffith.
RAY FREEMAN: And I'm Ray Freeman with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Every week we tell about someone important in the history of the United States. This week we tell about singer and songwriter Sam Cooke.
(MUSIC)
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The song is called "You Send Me." It was written and sung by a young singer and songwriter, Sam Cooke.
During the late nineteen fifties and early sixties, Sam Cooke was one of the biggest stars in the music industry. His smooth voice and musical style were popular with both blacks and whites. His influence still is present in today's music.
RAY FREEMAN: Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in nineteen thirty-one. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a minister in a Baptist church. Sam started singing religious music when he was only fifteen years old. When he was nineteen, he became the lead singer of a famous gospel singing group called the Soul Stirrers.
Sam Cooke performs at New York City's Copacabana Night Club in this undated photo.
In nineteen fifty, he began writing and recording¹ for the Soul Stirrers. During his six years with the group, Cooke brought his own kind of expression to gospel music. He became gospel music's biggest star. His good looks and singing abilities made him very popular among women, both young and old.
Here is Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers singing "Touch the Hem² of His Garment."
(MUSIC)
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Although Sam Cooke was a star with the Soul Stirrers, he wanted to sing other kinds of music. So, he decided³ to sing popular music instead.
Cooke's decision to "cross over" to pop music shocked many blacks. That was because making such a change was not as easy then as it is today.
He became gospel music's biggest star while singing with the group the Soul Stirrers.
Racial tensions⁴ were high between blacks and whites in the nineteen fifties. And gospel music was popular among black people. It was considered an important part of black culture.
The company that recorded the Soul Stirrers' records urged him not to start singing pop music. They thought it would offend⁵ the group's fans.
RAY FREEMAN: Cooke, however, wanted to sing to all groups of people. He wanted to express his racial identity⁶ without offending⁷ whites. At that time, most records by black artists were not played on radio stations that had white listeners. So, he left the gospel music world where he was extremely popular with blacks. But the move was not a mistake. He soon became a big star singing pop music.
His smooth voice and musical style were popular with both blacks and whites.
Sam Cooke's first pop record was released⁸ by a small company, Keen⁹, in nineteen fifty-seven. It was "You Send Me." It was a huge success. It sold one million seven hundred thousand copies in the first year alone. It is one of his most memorable¹⁰ recordings¹¹. Here is the first version¹² he recorded of that song. It was made to show Cooke's ability to sing.
(MUSIC)
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Sam Cooke had a voice that was unlike any the public had ever heard. His voice was soft, yet intense¹³. He made singing seem effortless.
Cooke was also a wise businessman. In nineteen fifty-nine, he became the first black artist to establish his own record company, SAR Records. He wrote most of his own material. And, he owned the rights to his songs through his music publishing company, Kags Music. Very few blacks at that time were able to control their musical profession in such a way. And, without such business control, they lost money.
Here is another hit by Sam Cooke, when he was with the Keen record company, called "Wonderful World. "
(MUSIC)
RAY FREEMAN: In nineteen sixty, Sam Cooke signed an agreement with a major record company, RCA. Such a move is common today. But, a move from an independent black-owned record company to a major record company was something few black artists were able to do then.
Cooke had a number of big hits at RCA. In this song, Sam Cooke uses a "call and answer" form of musical expression that started in the black church. The song is called "Bring it on Home to Me. "
(MUSIC)
In nineteen sixty-two, Sam Cooke recorded a song for RCA about a popular new dance step, the Twist. The song is called "Twistin' the Night Away. "
(MUSIC)
His song "A Change is Gonna Come" was released after his death.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: In December nineteen sixty-four, Sam Cooke's life was suddenly cut short. He was shot and killed at a hotel during a visit to Los Angeles. He was thirty-three years old.
His death shocked his fans. Thousands of people gathered at his funeral.
Two of Cooke's last songs were released after he died. One of the songs is called "A Change is Gonna Come." It is a powerful song that combines gospel and pop music. The song is like many of Sam Cooke's that made him so popular as a singer and songwriter. It is about never losing hope.
(MUSIC)
RAY FREEMAN: This Special English program was written by Cynthia Kirk. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Ray Freeman.
SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And I'm Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 hem   

n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制

参考例句：

• The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
• The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。

5 offend   

v.犯错误；违犯；犯罪

参考例句：

• He took care never to offend his visitors.他小心谨慎，绝不得罪他的访客。
• I think I never offend you.我想我从没有触犯过你。

6 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

7 offending   

adj.不愉快的；厌恶的v.冒犯(offend的ing形式)

参考例句：

• The offending paragraph was deleted. 令某些人不悦的那段话已经删除。
• The petty clerk was afraid of offending his boss. 这个小职员不敢得罪他的老板。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

9 keen   

adj.热心的；敏锐的；激烈的；锋利的

参考例句：

• There is keen competition between the two motorcar firms.两家汽车公司之间存在着激烈的竞争。
• The children are mad keen to go to the zoo.孩子们非常想去动物园。

10 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

11 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

12 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

13 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。