The Inaugural concert is a disaster, filled with D listers and a wedding band singing bad Sinatra. The whole thing is a Reagan esque white fantasy. We’ve gone back in time to a bad bad place that I thought was over. Trump welcomes the Branson era of corny Caucasian crap. “Hee Haw” is next.
So thank God then for Sam Moore, one of the music biz’s legends, who Bruce Springsteen calls “The greatest soul singer on the planet.” With Dave Prater (died in 1988) Sam had dozens of hits and earned a Grammy Award. On his own he’s sung for all the living presidents. He was the star of a PBS special on Memphis music recorded live at the White House. Michelle Obama loves him.
Sam has two solo albums. “Pretty Good Lovin'” was recorded in 1972 with Aretha Franklin on keyboards, produced by King Floyd. You can find it online. In 2006 he recorded “Overnight Sensational” produced by Randy Jackson with special guests Springsteen, Sting, Bon Jovi and Wynonna Judd.
In September 2015, Sam fit into his schedule a special honor on the Memphis Music Walk of Fame. Justin Timberlake joined him live on stage to sing the Otis Redding hit “Dock of the Bay.”
Moore was pressed into action when Jennifer Holliday dropped out of the Inaugural welcome concert. He performed a magnificent “America the Beautiful.” Then tonight on national TV he sang his greatest hit, “Soul Man.” (Waiting for the clip.) At 81, his voice is extraordinary. He was a diamond in the rough the last two days. What a treat. Something good came out of all this.
What Sam needs now: a Kennedy Center honor and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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