Sam Moore, famed for his rendition of Soul Man and other iconic tracks from the 1960s as part of the celebrated duo Sam & Dave, has passed away at the age of 89.
Moore, whose artistry inspired numerous musicians such as Michael Jackson, Al Green, and Bruce Springsteen, departed this world on Friday in Coral Gables, Florida, as a result of complications while recuperating from surgery, according to his publicist, Jeremy Westby.
Further information was not immediately provided.
Moore was honored alongside Dave Prater, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 1988, by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
The duo, signed with Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, redefined the “call and response” style of gospel music into an electrifying live performance and produced some of soul music’s timeless classics, including Hold On, I’m Comin’.
Sam Moore performs with Bruce Springsteen in 2006. Pic: Reuters
Numerous recordings by the duo were penned and produced by the influential partnership of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, with contributions from the Stax house band, Booker T & the MGs.
Although Sam & Dave experienced a decline in their popularity after the 1960s, their hit Soul Man resurfaced on the charts in the late 1970s when the Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, covered it with many of the same musicians.
Moore had conflicting sentiments regarding the song’s association with the Saturday Night Live stars, recalling how many youngsters believed it was a Blues Brothers original.
Sam & Dave parted ways in 1970, and neither artist achieved significant hits afterward.
Moore later reflected that his struggles with substance use contributed to the challenges faced by the band and led record executives to hesitate in offering him another opportunity.
Sam Moore with Justin Timberlake at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2015. Pic: AP
He wed his spouse Joyce in 1982, who played a crucial role in guiding him toward treatment for his addiction, an effort he credited with transforming his life.
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Moore spent several years embroiled in legal disputes with Prater after his former partner engaged a replacement and toured under the banner of the New Sam & Dave.
He also pursued litigation claiming that the portrayal of two aging, estranged performers in the 2008 film Soul Men bore too much resemblance to their music duo.
In a separate lawsuit, he and several other artists took legal action against various record companies along with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 1993, asserting that he had been unjustly denied retirement benefits.
Despite his catalog of million-selling records, he lamented in 1994 that his pension amounted to a mere 2,285 US dollars (£1,872), which could be redeemed as a lump sum or in monthly disbursements of 73 US dollars (£60).
“Two thousand dollars for my lifetime?” Moore remarked at that point. “If you’re profiting from me, then share some of it. Don’t offer me cornbread and claim it’s biscuits.”
Moore composed Dole Man, a parody of Soul Man, for Republican Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign and was among the few entertainers to grace President Donald Trump’s inauguration celebrations in 2017.
Eight years prior, he expressed his disapproval of Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s usage of the song Hold On, I’m Comin’ during his election campaign.
