Sam Moore, one half of the iconic soul and RandB duo Sam and Dave, has died at the age of 85 with the legendary performer responsible for inspiring the likes of Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen
07:36, 11 Jan 2025Updated 07:50, 11 Jan 2025
Legendary soul and R&B singer Sam Moore has sadly passed away at the age of 89. Best known for being part of the iconic duo Sam and Dave, Moore had a profound impact on the music industry, inspiring renowned artists such as Michael Jackson, Al Green, and Bruce Springsteen.
Alongside his partner Dave Prater, Moore delivered gospel-infused performances that are still revered as one of the greatest live acts of the 1960s. The duo's hits, including "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin'," played a significant role in reviving the popularity of soul, R&B, and blues music in the 1980s.
Moore's publicist Jeremy Westby announced that he passed away on Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications during his recovery from surgery. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to music, Moore and Prater were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
During their time at Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee, they were second only to Otis Redding in terms of popularity. The duo revolutionized the "call and response" style of gospel music, transforming it into an energetic stage show and recording some of soul music's most timeless hits, including "You Don't Know Like I Know," "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" and "I Thank You."
The majority of Sam and Dave's hits were crafted and produced by the talented team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, with the Stax house band Booker T and the MGs providing the instrumental backing. One of the most iconic moments in music history is when Sam and Dave shouted out "Play it, Steve" to guitarist Steve Cropper midway through their hit song "Soul Man."
"Soul Man" sparked up the charts again thanks to John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's Blues Brothers rendition in the late 1970s, the duo experienced a major revival.
Moore, from Miami, had mixed emotions over their signature song being credited to the "Saturday Night Live" pair, often leaving younger fans mistaking its origins. Despite that, the cover breathed new life into Sam and Dave, rocketing them back to stardom until they went their separate ways in 1981, by which time they'd claimed two US number ones and also made a mark on UK soil with "Soul Sister Brown Sugar" hitting a sweet spot at number 15.
Prater, who was the deeper vocalist, died in 1988, aged just 50, following a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia. In 2008, the movie "Soul Men" depicted a pair of aging, estranged singers who bore more than a little resemblance to Sam and Dave. Moore lost a lawsuit claiming the resemblance was too close.
Starting as a church singer, Moore's path crossed with Prater's, where a simple helping hand on song lyrics ignited a bond resulting in a top local act within the Miami music scene. The group signed a deal with Atlantic Records in 1965, with Moore at 30 and Prater not far behind at 28.
Moore married his wife, Joyce, in 1982, and the couple share a daughter and two grandchildren. Reflecting on his life in an interview in 2006, Moore credited Joyce for helping him kick a drug addiction towards the end of his professional career. After which, Moore would perform on cruise ships and at functions for presidents, including Barack Obama.
Post-rehab, Moore took to the seas and stages, belting out tunes on cruise liners and serenading crowds at swanky presidential gigs, including one for Barack Obama.
He reminisced: "I did a lot of cruise ships, I did a lot of oldies shows. That's funny to think back to it now. And I did a lot of shows where if I did a show with an oldie show, I had to actually audition.
"But you know what? You keep your mouth shut and you get up there and you sing as hard and perform as hard as you can, and get the little money and go on about your business and try and pay those bills. I'm laughing about it now, but at that time, man, it was really serious."
English (US) ·