With his partner Dave Prater he sang hits like “Soul Man” and made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Soul singer Sam Moore has died in Florida at the age of 89.
Thanks to hits like “Soul Man”, Sam & Dave once stormed the charts – now the second member of the duo, Sam Moore, has died. His spokesman Jeremy Westby said complications arose after an operation. Moore died yesterday in Coral Gables, Florida. He was 89 years old.
Moore was considered an influential voice of his generation. He inspired stars like Michael Jackson, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen. In the 1960s, he and his partner Dave Prater were also successful with songs such as “Hold On, I'm Comin”, “You Don't Know Like I Know” and “When Something is Wrong With My Baby”, among others.
Back in the charts thanks to a cover
In 1992 the two were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most of their hits were written and produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They were usually accompanied by the band Booker T. & the MGs. “Soul Man” hit the charts again in the late 1970s when the Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, recorded it with many of the same musicians.
Moore saw the cover with mixed feelings. Because many young people in particular believed at the time that it originally came from the Blues Brothers, Moore once said. Moore fell out with his partner Prater and sued him because he was touring the USA with another singer as New Sam & Dave. Prater died in a traffic accident in Georgia in 1988.
Moore is survived by his wife Joyce, a daughter and two grandchildren.
