Память о Куке:
После смерти Кука часть его репертуара позаимствовал молодой певец Отис Реддинг, в котором многие видели творческого наследника покойного. Отдельные песни Кука исполняли Арета Франклин, The Supremes, The Animals и The Rolling Stones, а также его протеже Бобби Уомак, женившийся на его вдове Барбаре. Дочь Кука вышла замуж за брата Уомака; в настоящее время с восьмерыми детьми живёт в Африке.
При создании в 1986 году Зала славы рок-н-ролла было объявлено, что его изначальными членами будут считаться три покойных исполнителя - Элвис Пресли, Бадди Холли и Сэм Кук. В 1999 г. Куку была посмертна присуждена "Грэмми" за выдающиеся достижения, а журнал Rolling Stone поставил его на 4-е место в списке самых выдающихся певцов эпохи рок-н-ролла.
Песни Кука нередко исполняются на торжественных для афроамериканского сообщества событиях. В 1965 г. чернокожего активиста Малколма Икса хоронили под звуки "A Change Is Gonna Come". После объявления о победе Барака Обамы на президентских выборах 2008 года он обратился к своим сторонникам, собравшимся в Чикаго, с речью, первые строки которой перефразируют рефрен общеизвестной песни Кука: "It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."
(ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кук,_Сэм)

Sam Cooke, byname of Samuel Cook, (born January 22, 1931, Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.-died December 11, 1964, Los Angeles, California), American singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur who was a major figure in the history of popular music and, along with Ray Charles, one of the most influential Black vocalists of the post-World War II period. If Charles represented raw soul, Cooke symbolized sweet soul. To his many celebrated disciples-Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, and Michael Jackson among them-he was an icon of unrivaled stature.
Cooke’s career came in two phases. As a member of the groundbreaking Soul Stirrers, a premier gospel group of the 1950s, he electrified the African American church community nationwide with a light, lilting vocal style that soared rather than thundered. "Nearer to Thee" (1955), "Touch the Hem of His Garment" (1956), and "Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles" (1956) were major gospel hits and, in the words of Aretha Franklin, "perfectly chiseled jewels."
Cooke’s decision to turn his attention to pop music in 1957 had tremendous implications in the Black musical community. There long had been a taboo against such a move, but Cooke broke the mold. He reinvented himself as a romantic crooner in the manner of Nat King Cole. His strength was in his smoothness. He wrote many of his best songs himself, including his first hit, the ethereal "You Send Me," which shot to number one on all charts in 1957 and established Cooke as a superstar.
While other rhythm-and-blues artists stressed visceral sexuality, Cooke was essentially a spiritualist, even in the domain of romantic love. When he did sing dance songs-"Twistin’ the Night Away" (1962), "Shake" (1965)-he did so with a delicacy theretofore unknown in rock music. Cooke also distinguished himself as an independent businessman, heading his own publishing, recording, and management firms. He broke new ground by playing nightclubs, such as the Copacabana in New York City, previously off-limits to rhythm-and-blues acts.
The tragedy of his demise in 1964-he was shot to death at age 33 by a motel manager-is shrouded in mystery. But the mystery has done nothing to damage the strength of his legacy. "A Change Is Gonna Come" (1965) remains his signature song, an anthem of hope and boundless optimism that expresses the genius of his poetry and sweetness of his soul. Cooke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and was a 1999 recipient of the Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.
(britannica.com/biography/Sam-Cooke)