A Change Is Gonna Come: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke
One of my fondest memories and favorite things to do in my youth was stand next to my mother during church and sing. While I was close by her side, it made us both feel good. Back then my health was often in question. Much of my time recuperating, I’d spend in my parent’s bedroom under warm covers, while being provided with doctor prescribed medicines, or mom’s home remedies and music. You see, the stereo with the large speakers and turntable was in their room. My mother knew listening to music, especially love ballads, would soothe me and keep me occupied so she could do other things around the house. As I lie in bed feeling sick to my stomach and light headed, I could at least hear the soulful sound of beautiful voices singing and serenading me back to health.
Although not the music of my era, but that of parents, this was some of the best music from the best singers I’d ever heard. Among the many crooners who “sang to me” from my parents records and albums, was the legendary Sam Cooke. His voice was something rare and glorious to me. It impressed me so much that I tried to (and still try to) emulate it. His high and soft, yet raspy, tonality embraced me. Songs like, “You Send Me”, “Chain Gang” and “I Thank God” still resonate with me to this day.
When I heard there was a documentary about Sam Cooke on Netflix, my wife and I jumped at the chance to see it. Sam Cooke was from Chicago, just like the two of us. He spent much of his time in the church like us. Cooke sang with the famed gospel group the “Soulsters”. They frequented many of the Black churches in the city of Chicago and abroad. We felt we knew a lot about Sam Cooke and about his history. Well, we were about to learn even more than we could have ever imagined.
Rage, disbelief, joy and sadness were just a few of the milder words I voiced “loudly” describing my emotional state after seeing this film. In less than an hour and a half, I watched Sam Cooke’s rise to fame as this controversially talented singer, songwriter, who did what he could to make a difference in the lives of people in the Black community. I then then found myself taken aback watching his fall from grace because of the conspiracy surrounding his death. The more I watched this documentary, the more endearing Sam Cooke became to me. In all honesty, the film confirmed many of the things I had heard about him, while introducing me to even more that I didn’t know about him or his legacy.
From humble beginnings, to one of the most successful recording artists of his time, Sam Cooke was an innovator, who knew his celebrity could be an advantage and help garner access for him and fellow black artist into the true workings of the record industry. This documentary shows how that came to be and how successful it had started to become very early on. It also shows the many obstacles Cooke and other Black musicians had to struggle through just to co-exist. The “Jim Crow” south kept many talented black musicians and singers out of the mainstream. Even the more “liberal north” wasn’t very receptive. Somehow, Sam Cooke was able to break through these barriers and gain popularity in the Black community and White dominated mainstream. This movie explores the adage “What Cost Fame?” as we, the viewer become more and more inundated with the treatment of Black people during the turbulent 60’s and how that affected the Black entertainers of the time. Innuendo surrounded who Cooke was and what he was trying to do, and this film also discusses how Sam Cooke ended up on the FBI’s radar as being dangerous, confirming it’s all about the company you keep. The film embraces the fact that celebrity can move mountains if utilized in a positive way.
As Black people, we are often misunderstood and not taken seriously because our ancestors were brought here as slaves…underestimated because somebody was threatened by the color of our skin. For a long time in America, Black people have been much like a best kept secret. This documentary shows that Sam Cooke didn’t take us for granted. He knew the potential of the human spirit in us as a people. He knew that we were a virtually untapped resource of talent, ingenuity, strength and courage.
What I think this film will do is wake you up and give you a glimpse at where we were then and where we are now some fifty- five years later. It shows how close Black people were to achieving something of worth that communities could build on, only to watch it taken away, along with our heroes. After watching this movie, I understand the contributions of Sam Cooke to the true “fabric of our lives”, and I’m appreciative.
Find a way to see “The Two Killings of Sam Cooke”. It’s currently available on Netflix. As he wrote “A Change Is Gonna Come”, my thought is when, and at what cost?
Gregory Blair Morgan
