Moores wife and manager, Joyce Moore, confirmed the singers death toRolling Stone.
On singles like Soul Man, Hold On!
Samuel David Moore was born in Miami on Oct. 12, 1935.
Sam Moore on May 7, 2006 at New Orleans Fair Grounds in New Orleans, LA.Skip Bolen/WireImage
The son of a preacher, he began singing in his familys backyard.
I was a local hero, not a big star.
Let them pay you.
Thats how things were done on my side of the street.
I was surrounded by that kind of behavior; it was accepted.
But I didnt make much money from it.
The notion paid off.
(It was Moore who was heard shouting out Play it, Steve!
to guitarist Steve Cropper in Soul Man.)
In 1968, Prater shot his wife during an argument, which soured his and Moores partnership.
Moore himself grappled with cocaine and heroin issues.
As he told SFGate in 2002, The record company told me nobody wanted to hear me without Dave.
Youve got to understand all the money that I had was going into my arms.
I had to do it.
Moore admitted that he had mixed feelings about the remake.
On one hand, Soul Man was good for us, Moore told RS in 2024.
On the other hand, its an albatross around Sam Moores neck.
But he was so hurt he went and got an impostor and called it Sam & Dave.
Word got out that I was dead or had throat cancer or that I had retired.
All kinds of stuff.
So from that time until Dave died in 1988, I hadnt spoke to him.
In 1981, Moore married Joyce McRae, who soon became his manager and revived his career.
Sam Moore worked regularly in subsequent decades, touring as part of R&B revues.
He also briefly protested Barack Obamas use of Hold On!
Im Comin during the 2012 campaign, and also sang America the Beautiful at Donald Trumps 2017 inauguration.
The man hasnt taken office.
He hasnt said his name yet to say, Yes, Ill be president.
Throughout it all, Moore had a singular definition of soul music that drove his music and career.
They call Keith Sweat and Al B. and they even say Freddie Jackson is soul, he said in 1991.
And Im going, No gentlemen.
Soul is what James Brown used to do when hed do kindly kindly Me and fall to his knees.
.. Its like in church.
