Today would have been Sam Moore’s 90th birthday.
The great soul man R&B legend, rock star, singer of country and gospel, left us on January 10th of this year. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him, and ditto his legions of fans, friends, and admirers.
The star of the Sixties super duo Sam & Dave can still be heard ’round the clock on Sirius XM’s Soul Town, and on oldies radio around the world. New generations might not know his name, but they know his voice and his songs: “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming,” “I Thank You,” “When Something is Wrong with My Baby.”
I met Sam and his wife Joyce in 1999 at the annual Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards dinner. It was destiny. Sam starred in my documentary, “Only the Strong Survive,” which was shown in Cannes in 2002. He and Joyce roomed with the late filmmaker DA Pennebaker his director wife, Chris Hegedus. The friendships never ended.
Sam was sometimes confused with Sam Cooke, who was killed in 1964. That Sam had wanted our Sam to join his singing group. They were friends but Sam Moore knew he was a star. When he and Dave Prater became partners, their star exploded. On Atlantic Records via Stax they became international sensations.
Sam had a bad few years after the duo busted up, but his next was almost better. First he was rediscovered by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who based “The Blues Brothers” on Sam & Dave. Then Bruce Springsteen, Sam’s most ardent fan, declared him “The Greatest Living Soul Singer on the Planet.” The accolades poured in, and Sam — thanks to wife Joyce — never stopped doing what he loved right up til the end.
Everyone who knew Sam has great stories because he loved to talk and reminisce. He dug the music world gossip. It was easy to crack him up and he gave back as good as he got. If you were interested in classic music history, Sam knew where all the bodies were buried and he’d tell us. “Oh, Roger,” he’d say in his Southern drawl, shaking his head. “You don’t know!”
We really thought we’d have a big 90th birthday party. But it wasn’t mean to be. Joyce is doing something today, and there will be a gospel brunch in Sam’s memory sometime soon. Sam didn’t like to sing unless he was being paid — after decades of rip offs. But a couple of times he sang “Happy Birthday” to me over the phone. There’s no recording but it’s in my head and in the universe for all time.
Sam, I really, really miss you, your humor, coverage, wisdom, strong convictions and lasting loyalty. What a privilege it was to celebrate so many birthdays with you over the years. Today, we’re having a cranberry juice toast to you, and listening to your incredible legacy.
Here’s a clip of Sam singing with the Isaac Hayes band (they were brothers, Isaac wrote the Sam & Dave hits) filmed in 1999 by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker and illegally on YouTube. The filming was done at NJPAC in Newark, Isaac was there, and it one of the top 10 moments in my life. Sam is beyond outstanding.
