Hold on God, Sam Moore is coming — the famed singer, who was half of the legendary soul duo Sam & Dave, has died.
Sam’s rep says the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer passed away Friday morning in Coral Gables, FL after suffering post-surgery complications — although, the rep did not say what kind of surgery Sam had undergone or when.
Sam & Dave — with singer Dave Prater — formed in the 60s and dropped a string of iconic hits, including “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming” and “I Thank You.” From the start, Sam had quite the pedigree in the music biz.
He was discovered while singing in church by none other than Sam Cooke, who thought Moore would be a great gospel singer — however, seeing another soul music icon, Jackie Wilson, made him jump into pop music instead.
Sam met Dave during a south Florida nightclub talent show, and Atlantic Records execs would discover the duo in 1965 … and the rest is rock & roll history.
They broke up in 1970, but their music catalog got a huge shot in the arm when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi covered “Soul Man” as the Blues Brothers on ‘SNL’ in the 70s.
Sam opened up about his struggles with heroin addiction after marrying Joyce McRae in 1982, and she eventually helped him get clean and flourish in a solo career. He was a favorite at the White House, having performed for 6 Presidents at different events. He even performed with Bill Clinton for Aykroyd’s 50th birthday celebration.
As a solo artist, Sam collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, Billy Preston, Jon Bon Jovi and many more.
Sam and Dave were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sam was 89. He’s survived by Joyce, their daughter and a granddaughter.
RIP.
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