Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January 22, 1931, one of five boys and three girls, but grew up in Chicago. In 1951, at the age of nineteen, he became lead vocalist of the Soul Stirrers, which included two of his sisters and one brother, Cooke's first session with the group, at Specialty Records, produced "Jesus Gave Me Water. In 1956 under the name Dale Cooke he released the secular tune Lovable, there was no mistaking his unique voice, the record sold 250,000 copies and caused a furor with his religious audiences. From there he went on to make (history) many super fine recordings synthesizing a blend of gospel music and secular themes, providing the early foundation of soul music and his sophisticated image set the style of Soul crooners for the next decade in fact in the words of the Dixie Drifter (Enoch Gregory) on the record Soul Heaven "Sam Cooke, why, he wrote the book".

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