Singer Sam Moore, who performed as one half of the Grammy-winning R&B duo Sam & Dave, has died at the age of 89.
Sam Moore passed away in Coral Gables, Florida after suffering complications from a surgery.
The hitmaker was known for his ’60s-era chart toppers Soul Man, I Thank You, and Hold On I’m Coming.
He first showed a talent for music while singing in church, and later became the MC at King O’ Hearts Club in Miami.
It was there where he met Dave Prater, who would become his bandmate, and with whom he would go on to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sam Moore & Dave were discovered in 1964 and signed to Atlantic Records via the label’s southern subset, Stax Records.
They produced a slew of hits, gaining international recognition, and were even asked to perform at Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden in 1968. They split just a couple of years later in 1970.
After the breakup, Moore re-signed to Atlantic as a solo act and recorded an album produced by King Curtis and Donnie Hathaway, featuring the likes of Aretha Franklin, who lended her piano skills.
But when Curtis was murdered on August 13, 1971, the album took a back seat, and didn’t come to fruition until 2022, under the name Plenty Good Loving.
There was a fresh interest in Sam & Dave in late 1978 after Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi performed a cover of their Grammy-winning tune Soul Man on Saturday Night Live.
They reunited for a several years before breaking up for a second and final time on New Year’s Eve 1982.
Sam Moore went on to perform regularly at the Kennedy Center, taking the stage to entertain for six presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Moore returned to music with 2006’s Overnight Sensational, which boasted A-list collaborators Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Sting, among others. It was produced by American Idol’s Randy Jackson.
He was added to the list of performers for President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural events in 2017.
He signed on to perform at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC after Jennifer Holliday bowed out of performing due to backlash.
Moore described the criticism directed at Holliday as ‘unfair.’
At the time of his death, he was collaborating with Rudy Perez on a gospel album he planned to dedicate to his mother.
The icon is survived by wife of 42 years, Joyce McRae, daughter Michelle and grandchildren Tash and Misha.