Sam Moore, half of ’60s R&B duo Sam & Dave, dies at 89

89-year-old Sam Moore, one half of the renowned R&B duo Sam & Dave during the 1960s, passed away on Friday in Coral Gables, Florida. The pair were known for their raw and catchy hits like “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Coming.”

In this sentence, we’ve maintained the structure while using simpler language to make it more accessible and natural for a casual reader.

It was announced that he had passed away, with his representative Jeremy Westby confirming the news. The reason for his demise was reportedly complications following an unmentioned operation. Similarly, Dave Prater, who was Moore’s collaborator in Sam & Dave, met an untimely end in a car crash at the age of 50 back in 1988.

With Moore taking the lead and Prater providing the harmonies, Sam & Dave stood out as one of Stax Records’ defining acts in Memphis. While Motown from Detroit produced a more refined and polished R&B sound that was transformed into pop success, Stax offered a rawer, more intense alternative.

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Back in 1965, this pair wasn’t new to chart success: They spent four years on a streak where they graced Billboard’s R&B chart over a dozen times and even reached the second spot on the Hot 100 with “Soul Man.” This hit was penned and produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, with Stax’s renowned house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, providing backing. In 1968, “Soul Man” took home a Grammy Award for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals, beating out contenders like Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “I Second That Emotion.

Back in the day, as a young music enthusiast, I found myself deeply moved by some of Sam & Dave’s timeless hits. Among their many classics were “I Thank You,” “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody,” “Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” and “You Got Me Hummin’.” Little did I know that years later, these very same songs would captivate me once more, this time as I covered them alongside my group, the Hassles.

In my humble opinion as a film critic, even mediocre bands could elicit a spectacular response by performing a subpar cover of Sam & Dave’s classics back in 1992, as Joel so eloquently pointed out during their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. However, when you pit them against the original, it’s a different story entirely – they simply can’t measure up.

A recently published biography, penned by ex-Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn, focuses on the life of the 81-year-old tunesmith and musician.

Dec. 4, 2024

In the studio, Sam & Dave achieved much, but it was their electrifying performances on stage that truly earned them recognition. They were famed as a duo with double the energy, often referred to as “Double Dynamite,” and also as the “Sultans of Sweat” due to their intense live acts.

Samuel David Moore, born on October 12, 1935, in Miami, began his life singing in church. It was at Miami’s King of Hearts nightclub during the early ’60s where he crossed paths with Prater, who was performing during an amateur night that Moore was hosting. The encounter led to the formation of Sam & Dave. For the most part, they labored in relative obscurity until their performance caught the attention of Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, and Tom Dowd – key figures behind Atlantic Records. They then signed the duo to a deal, placing them under Stax, a label that Atlantic was distributing for recording.

Moore and Prater, who had a more business-like bond than a friendly one, separated in 1970 but reconnected when both their individual careers faltered. In the year 1978, the comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, known as The Blues Brothers, released a cover of “Soul Man” which reached No. 14 on the Hot 100 charts. This renewed popularity extended Sam & Dave’s career for a while until they played their last joint performance together in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in 1981. Unfortunately, this didn’t sit well with Moore as Prater later toured as Sam & Dave with another singer named Sam Daniels.

In 1982, Steve Moore tied the knot with Joyce McRae. Not only did she become his wife, but also took over managing his career. Moreover, she assisted him in conquering a heroin addiction. Following this, he contributed his vocal talents to albums by Don Henley and Bruce Springsteen. In 2019, the Recording Academy honored him with a lifetime achievement award. His family members who survive him include his wife, their daughter, and two grandchildren.

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2025-01-11 20:01