Sam Moore, more than half of the surviving voices of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave It was heralded as a definitive hit of its era. soul man and ‘Wait a minute, I’ll go.,’ passed away. He was 89 years old.
Publicist Jeremy Westby said Moore died Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery. Additional details were not immediately available.
Moore, whose fans range from Al Green to Bruce Springsteen, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 along with Dave Prater.
At Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records, Moore and Prater were ranked as the label’s biggest stars, behind Otis Redding. They transformed gospel music’s “call and response” into electrifying stage shows and recorded some of soul music’s most enduring hits. you don’t know like i know, When your baby has a problem and i am grateful.
Most of the hits were written and produced by the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter and featured the Stax house band. Booker T. and M.G.His guitarist Steve Cropper got one of the most famous shout-outs in music when Sam & Dave called. Play it, Steve. in the middle soul man.
Like many soul acts from the 60s, Sam & Dave It disappeared after the 1960s. but soul man It hit the charts again in the late 1970s. blues brothers John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd recorded this song with the same musicians. Moore said this was a hit. saturday night live I remember how young people believed it started with the Blues Brothers.
Movie in 2008 soul man It depicted a pair of older, estranged singers who looked a bit like Sam & Dave. Moore lost the lawsuit, claiming there were too many similarities.
Get national news every day
Get the day’s top news, politics, economy and current affairs headlines delivered to your inbox once a day.
He also spent years suing Prater after Prater hired a surrogate and toured as New Sam & Dave. Prater died in a car accident in Georgia in 1988.
In 1993, Moore was one of a number of artists who filed legal claims that the recording industry defrauded them of retirement benefits. Moore and other artists sued several record labels and the Federation of Television and Radio Artists of America.
Moore told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview that he joined the legal effort after learning that despite his million-selling record, his pension was worth only $2,285 and he could receive it in a lump sum or $73 a month.
“Two thousand dollars for life?” Moore said at the time. “If you are benefiting from me, give me some too. “Don’t give me cornbread and say it’s a biscuit.”
Moore also became involved in politics. he wrote a song dolmanmodeled soul manFor Republican Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign. In 2017, he was one of the few celebrities to perform at the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump. Eight years ago, Moore opposed the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Wait a minute, I’ll go.‘.
Moore was born in Miami on October 12, 1935, and began singing in church.
He and Prater performed in soul and R&B clubs in the 1950s, but did not meet until 1961 when they met in Miami. Moore helped coach Prater’s song lyrics, and they quickly became a popular local duo. After signing with Atlantic Records in 1965, producer Jerry Wexler sent it to the label’s Stax subsidiary in Memphis.
Moore and Prater often argued, and Moore said in a 2006 interview with the Associated Press that his drug habit, which he began in 1981, contributed to the band’s problems and later made entertainment industry executives reluctant to give him a fresh start. The duo broke up in 1970, and although neither had another major hit, Moore worked frequently with Springsteen, and Moore called Springsteen one of his closest friends. They performed together on stage and sang on each other’s albums, including an energetic duet. real world.
“RIP Sam Moore,” Springsteen sideman Steve Van Zandt posted on X. “One of the last of the great Soul Men. He and Dave Prater inspired me and Johnny to start Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. An important, righteous and good man.”
He married his wife, Joyce, in 1982, who helped him get treatment for his addiction, which he credits with saving his life.
“I’ve done a lot of cruise shows, a lot of old shows.” He added that during those struggles, he once opened a show for Elvis impersonators.
“When I think about it now, it’s really ridiculous. And I did a lot of older shows where you actually had to audition,” he said. “But you know what? You shut up, get up, sing hard, perform as best as you can, make a little money and try to keep the business going and pay the bills. “We laugh about it now, but at the time it was very serious.”
Moore continued to record and sing. He frequently performed at the Kennedy Center Honors and sang for Obama, among other presidents.
Moore is survived by his wife, Joyce; daughter Michelle; and two grandchildren.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
