According to news reports, Sam Moore, half of the popular 1960s soul duet Sam & Dave, passed away on Friday.
The two were responsible for the number-one songs Soul Man, Hold on, I’m Comin’, and I Thank You.
Following surgery at a Coral Gables, Florida, hospital, Moore passed away. He was eighty-nine.
Tenor Moore and baritone Dave Prater were well-known for their energetic stage performances and contributed to the success of Stax Records, which also featured Booker T & the M.G.s, Otis Redding, and Isaac Hayes.
According to The New York Times, Sam & Dave’s success paved the way for other Black singers to connect with white audiences, even as their music dominated R&B charts.
Moore, who was born in Miami, had a challenging upbringing before discovering his calling in a Baptist church. Before joining Prater, he sang with a gospel choir and an a cappella group.
Sam & Dave’s fame declined in the 1970s, but when Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd released Soul Man in 1978 as the Blues Brothers, their music was heard by a new audience.
Following drug abuse and a tumultuous relationship with Prater that ended in the early 1980s, Moore would go on to pursue a solo career, recording with musicians such as Bruce Springsteen and performing for presidents. In 1988, Prater lost his life in a car accident.
In 1992, Sam & Dave were admitted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2019, they were honored with a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.