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Thread: Sam Cooke

  1. #1
    unihikid Guest

    Sam Cooke

    im surprised no one added him.what gets me upset is how whenever E or VH1 does a "100 most famous deaths" hes not mentioned.

  2. #2
    Bellfire Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by unihikid View Post
    im surprised no one added him.what gets me upset is how whenever E or VH1 does a "100 most famous deaths" hes not mentioned.
    Well, you have to understand that even though Sam was a great figure in music he was one of those people that died before he was well recieved. Otis Rdding, Jim Croce, Jimi Hendrix, and a few others all had the advantage of having a song or more that hadn't been released before they died. I don't know why but people seem to idolize you more (talent wise) after you are gone. Sam had all his songs already out so when he passed. Sam Had two other strikes against him. One was when he died the music was changing and his style wasn't as popular. Otis Redding had a better flair, style, sound, and folling so people just turned to him to fill the void.

    I really think people would have been more upset about Otis's loss if Marvin Gaye wasn't there. I think Marvin had the best of everything for his time but Otis by far was the best of the three.

  3. #3
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    vh-1 classic aired a bio of sam last night,and had filmed testimony of the woman who shot him. she was very different than what i expected,black,middle aged,well dressed and sure of her self.

  4. #4
    Death Hag Chris Guest
    great music. he had some amazing songs, you gotta admit. but yeah, I also feel he was one of those artists that become famous only in death. if he would have lived a few more years, i'm sure he could have broke big in the biz.

  5. #5
    GrinReaper Guest
    Same thing, unfortunatly happens to visual artists. Van Gogh only sold like 1-3 paintings while he was alive and not for very much. He died poor. Now his paintings sell for millions and are priceless. Too bad it took him like 100 years to be appreciated.

  6. #6
    Tombstone Tourist Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Bellfire View Post
    Well, you have to understand that even though Sam was a great figure in music he was one of those people that died before he was well recieved. Otis Rdding, Jim Croce, Jimi Hendrix, and a few others all had the advantage of having a song or more that hadn't been released before they died. I don't know why but people seem to idolize you more (talent wise) after you are gone. Sam had all his songs already out so when he passed. Sam Had two other strikes against him. One was when he died the music was changing and his style wasn't as popular. Otis Redding had a better flair, style, sound, and folling so people just turned to him to fill the void.

    I really think people would have been more upset about Otis's loss if Marvin Gaye wasn't there. I think Marvin had the best of everything for his time but Otis by far was the best of the three.
    I disagree. After Sam was murdered fans swarmed the hotel and riots broke out there in the Streets. Over the next couple of days Sam had two funerals - one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles with over 10,000 fans swarming around his $5,000 glass-topped bronze casket.

    This is the best part:
    At the LA funeral, Sam's wife stepped out of the limo with her new boyfriend Bobby Womack at her side. Worse yet, Bobby was wearing Sam's clothes!

  7. #7
    meggles Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I disagree. After Sam was murdered fans swarmed the hotel and riots broke out there in the Streets. Over the next couple of days Sam had two funerals - one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles with over 10,000 fans swarming around his $5,000 glass-topped bronze casket.

    This is the best part:
    At the LA funeral, Sam's wife stepped out of the limo with her new boyfriend Bobby Womack at her side. Worse yet, Bobby was wearing Sam's clothes!

    Oooh! I love juicy details! Tomb, you have some great stuff, I have reall enjoyed your posts!

    Bad enough to move in on the dude but wear his clothes? Shame, Bobby!

    I loved the Sam Cooke stop on Scott's tour...

  8. #8
    Death Hag Chris Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I disagree. After Sam was murdered fans swarmed the hotel and riots broke out there in the Streets. Over the next couple of days Sam had two funerals - one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles with over 10,000 fans swarming around his $5,000 glass-topped bronze casket.

    This is the best part:
    At the LA funeral, Sam's wife stepped out of the limo with her new boyfriend Bobby Womack at her side. Worse yet, Bobby was wearing Sam's clothes!
    whoa, interesting. thanks for the info. and, if I do say so myself, TACKY on both Sam's widow and Bobby Womack's part.

  9. #9
    Tombstone Tourist Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by meggles View Post
    Oooh! I love juicy details! Tomb, you have some great stuff, I have reall enjoyed your posts!

    Bad enough to move in on the dude but wear his clothes? Shame, Bobby!

    I loved the Sam Cooke stop on Scott's tour...
    I actually got thrown out of Forest Lawn Glendale because I hopped the wall into the south Garden of Honor to get his grave picture for the book. I was pleasantly surprised to find Sammy Davis there too!

    Warning - if you do hop the walls at FL-G, note that the doors are locked from the INSIDE as well as the outside.

  10. #10
    meggles Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I actually got thrown out of Forest Lawn Glendale because I hopped the wall into the south Garden of Honor to get his grave picture for the book. I was pleasantly surprised to find Sammy Davis there too!

    Warning - if you do hop the walls at FL-G, note that the doors are locked from the INSIDE as well as the outside.

    So noted! That could definitely be a buzz kill!!

  11. #11
    HARLOWNUMBER1 Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I actually got thrown out of Forest Lawn Glendale because I hopped the wall into the south Garden of Honor to get his grave picture for the book. I was pleasantly surprised to find Sammy Davis there too!

    Warning - if you do hop the walls at FL-G, note that the doors are locked from the INSIDE as well as the outside.
    INCREDIBLE.

    The best time to visit those gardens would be on Mon-Tue between 9-2. I noticed during these hours that many of the garden workers usually leave these doors open while they're working throughout the day.

  12. #12
    Tombstone Tourist Guest
    Oh, and if you ever want access to the Great Mausoleum, dress nice, hide the camera, arrive on Sunday, and go around to the backside (opposite the formal entrance) and ring the buzzer and when they ask for a name, just say "Dunthorpe" or any other name and they buzz you right in.

    Or go in the front way and walk right over the short gates or ultra-secure velvet ropes.

  13. #13
    Bellfire Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I disagree. After Sam was murdered fans swarmed the hotel and riots broke out there in the Streets. Over the next couple of days Sam had two funerals - one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles with over 10,000 fans swarming around his $5,000 glass-topped bronze casket.

    This is the best part:
    At the LA funeral, Sam's wife stepped out of the limo with her new boyfriend Bobby Womack at her side. Worse yet, Bobby was wearing Sam's clothes!

    Yeah, I'm talking beyond the shock though. (Hey that's a great title) His music wasn't played like a Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Jimmi Hendrix, or a Elivis. I was suprised to know just how much music out there belongs to Otis. Songs like Try a little tenderness, Take me to the river, That song with the lyrics "Come on pretty baby won't you light my candle" (I may be wrong about that one but I think it was his. There were so many remakes and there were so many that people left alone. (If someone else sang Sitting on the dock of the bay I bet you it stank.) Sam was good-looking, talented and creative be it took him awhile to gain full acceptance and Otis didn't struggle half as much with his music.

    I could have made some unlucky rock star a miserable wife. Wine, cornflakes and fist fights and that's when he came from the gig.
    Last edited by Bellfire; 10-18-2007 at 05:58 PM.

  14. #14
    onehunglow Guest

    O'ssss ya doesn't have to call me Johnson.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    Oh, and if you ever want access to the Great Mausoleum, dress nice, hide the camera, arrive on Sunday, and go around to the backside (opposite the formal entrance) and ring the buzzer and when they ask for a name, just say "Dunthorpe" or any other name and they buzz you right in.

    Or go in the front way and walk right over the short gates or ultra-secure velvet ropes.
    You can call me J or...................

  15. #15
    monhol Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone Tourist View Post
    I disagree. After Sam was murdered fans swarmed the hotel and riots broke out there in the Streets. Over the next couple of days Sam had two funerals - one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles with over 10,000 fans swarming around his $5,000 glass-topped bronze casket.

    This is the best part:
    At the LA funeral, Sam's wife stepped out of the limo with her new boyfriend Bobby Womack at her side. Worse yet, Bobby was wearing Sam's clothes!
    now that is just plain messed up and wrong. bobby womack?? i can't believe it.

  16. #16
    SanDiegodeathhag19 Guest
    my mother loved sam cooke, sad way to go.

  17. #17
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    hard to handle is the candle song,with notable remakes by tom jones and the kentucky headhunters

    i don't know if otis did take me to the river,al green did the song great justice,old memphis song as al says

    try a little tenderness is one of the greatest performances r and b or otherwise.
    i have not heard the original 1933 version,of bings take.
    otis version still gets played.

  18. #18
    Bellfire Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by midnitelamp View Post
    hard to handle is the candle song,with notable remakes by tom jones and the kentucky headhunters

    i don't know if otis did take me to the river,al green did the song great justice,old memphis song as al says

    try a little tenderness is one of the greatest performances r and b or otherwise.
    i have not heard the original 1933 version,of bings take.
    otis version still gets played.
    Otis did take me to the river 'cause I was shocked when I first heard his version. lol

  19. #19
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    it would certainly been in his range. i would love to hear it cause it is a great song.

    i was at a james brown concert the night otis died. they made the announcement at intermission,you may imagine the crowds reaction. the second half of the show was inspired.

  20. #20
    Bellfire Guest
    I was wrong. Otis didn't do take me to the river. He did Satisfaction and Hard to handle but neither one of them was take me to the river so I admit defeat lol.

  21. #21
    monhol Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by midnitelamp View Post
    vh-1 classic aired a bio of sam last night,and had filmed testimony of the woman who shot him. she was very different than what i expected,black,middle aged,well dressed and sure of her self.
    i read the story on fad. she was a prostitute i believe and you know how reformed whores get lol

  22. #22
    Tombstone Tourist Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by monhol View Post
    i read the story on fad. she was a prostitute i believe and you know how reformed whores get lol
    Actually the prostitute Lisa Boyer didn't shoot him - the motel manager did. One theory being that Lisa set him up with the help of the motel manager Bertha Franklin.

    Court records definately show that Franklin changed her story four times upon extensive questioning, with her story evolving from self defense, to a robbery, to a crime of passion, to a case of mistaken identity. Yet there were no charges of perjury or any action taken against her. There was no questioning or physical examination of Boyer to see if she had been raped. It was reported that his car was running and a Muhammad Speaks newspaper was on the back seat. There was also blood on the outside of the motel and inside Cookeâ??s car.

    Oh, and let's not forget that the "grieving" widow refused the offer for a more through investigation.

  23. #23
    dawn7245 Guest

    Sam Cooke

    Died from a gunshot wound.
    Date of Birth

    22 January 1931, Chicago, Illinois, USA


    Date of Death

    11 December 1964, Los Angeles, California, USA. (gunshot)


    Birth Name

    Samuel Cook


    Height

    5' 11½" (1.82 m)


    Mini Biography

    Sam Cooke was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 22, 1931, one of eight children. His father, Charles Cooke, was a Baptist minister and it was in his church that Cooke sang in a group called the "Highway Q.C." At age 20, Cooke replaced R.H. Harris as lead singer for the Soul Stirrers, a popular gospel group. Cooke stayed with the group for six years and traveled back and forth across the country. Later, he became the lead singer with another group, the "Pilgrim Travellers", who spawned and boasted another fine singer, Lou Rawls. Under the name Dale Cooke, Sam, with a guitar under his arm, recorded the song "Lovable" for Specialty Label. The Specialty president, Art Rupe, rejected what he heard calling it "bleached". But Cooke's first single, "You Send Me", released in 1957, sold over a million copies. Sam's older brother, L.C. Cooke, was the composer, Keen, a new label, was the recipient, Bumps Blackwell was the producer of the group, and J.W. Alexander, a family friend, was the brains behind Cooke's experiment with his vocal control singing. In 1960, Sam Cooke became the first major black singer to sign a recording deal with RCA Records. His second release was "Chain Gang" which hit the top 40.

    Cooke never forsook his gospel/blues training, he just explored his soul and then exploited it. He founded his own publishing company, Kags Music and his own record company Sar/Derby. He married his high school girlfriend, Barbara Campbell, in 1959 in Los Angeles and they had three children, one of whom drowned in their backyard swimming pool at age four in June 1964.

    Cooke died on December 11, 1964 under mysterious circumstances. That day, he picked up a young girl, named Elisa Boyer, at a party and offered her a ride home. But he took her to a Los Angeles motel in the Watts section and registered as Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cooke. He allegedly assaulted and raped Boyer repeatedly. A little later, while Cooke was in the bathroom, Miss Boyer put on her clothes, grabbed his clothes, and ran out to call the police. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, reported that Cooke, (dressed in only a raincoat jacket and shoes) banged on the door of her apartment demanding to know the whereabouts of Miss Boyer and when Mrs. Franklin did not open the door, Cooke knocked it down. Mrs. Franklin reported that she pulled out a gun and shot him three times. But he kept coming towards her like a man possessed. She then clubbed him repeatingly with a stick-like weapon and then phoned the police. He was dead when they arrived. Sam Cooke's body was flown back to Chicago for burial where hundreds attended to pay their respects to their hero, a graduate of the gospel circuit.

  24. #24
    Jenny Mulhenny Guest
    Man, I would love to know the truth about this story. What a weird end to such a great artist.

  25. #25
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    I think he got ripped off by the girl he supposedly raped He went after his wallet and it got him killed.That seems more plausible than the story thats out right now.

  26. #26
    Jenny Mulhenny Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by JefeStone View Post
    I think he got ripped off by the girl he supposedly raped He went after his wallet and it got him killed.That seems more plausible than the story thats out right now.
    That's the story I always heard.

  27. #27
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    I wonder if the land lady was in on it. And what became of the the rape victim and the land lady. The way they lived after Cooke's killing could tell clues to the truth.

  28. #28
    Kellycatt1 Guest
    I found this link about this, I thought I would share it.

    http://www0.epinions.com/content_3396378756

  29. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kellycatt1 View Post
    I found this link about this, I thought I would share it.

    http://www0.epinions.com/content_3396378756
    Interesting article - altho the part about Sam Cooke's sister marrying Bobby Womack's brother (who had married Sam Cooke's widow) was a bit weird.

  30. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by unihikid View Post
    im surprised no one added him.what gets me upset is how whenever E or VH1 does a "100 most famous deaths" hes not mentioned.
    I consider him one of the greatest singers ever. Check out his "Night Beat" album. Just awesome.

  31. #31
    unihikid Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Bellfire View Post
    Yeah, I'm talking beyond the shock though. (Hey that's a great title) His music wasn't played like a Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Jimmi Hendrix, or a Elivis. I was suprised to know just how much music out there belongs to Otis. Songs like Try a little tenderness, Take me to the river, That song with the lyrics "Come on pretty baby won't you light my candle" (I may be wrong about that one but I think it was his. There were so many remakes and there were so many that people left alone. (If someone else sang Sitting on the dock of the bay I bet you it stank.) Sam was good-looking, talented and creative be it took him awhile to gain full acceptance and Otis didn't struggle half as much with his music.

    I could have made some unlucky rock star a miserable wife. Wine, cornflakes and fist fights and that's when he came from the gig.
    im gonna have to disagree,sam had more hits under his belt than otis,and he was second in sales at rca behind elvis,i mean everyone know "cupid draw back your bow" and "darlin you you send me",thoese are heavely played and the list can go on and on and on,his songs at the time of his death wernt as big i do agree with you on that,because sam was trying to go into the vegas market(and remember otis didnt sell well,although he did do great at concerts,but otis was only on the pop charts once and that was for "dock",try a lil tend was at the low end of the pop charts,i dont even think it was top 50)plus otis stole alot of sams stuff,i mean if you look at otis's albums he always does a cooke tune,and then he "wrote" "sweet soul music" for arthur connely which was sams "yeah man".in other words ,in his time sam was BIG.(otis and sam died the same day 3 yrs apart)

    now for the cooke/womack family tree.bobby married sams widow barbra,they had a kid together named vincent(barb and sam had a baby boy named vincent who drowned,then after the drowning sam adopted a boy they named him vincent but gave him up).

    ok now barbs and sams oldent daughter linda married bobbys younger bro named cecil.then curtis womack,married mary wells,then divorced,and mary married harry womack(all these are brothers).now thats what i call keeping it in the family.oh and all these womacks were in a group together which recorded for sams lable SAR.

    charlie

  32. #32
    Clevelanddeathfan Guest
    Sam was a good singer. Very good looking too. I heard once that Aretha Franklin said that Sam Cooke was the sexiest singer she had ever known. He was a smooth, sexy singer. Okay, I need a cigarette

  33. #33
    DoubleZ1013 Guest
    Didn't members of Sam Cooke's family kick the crap out of Bobby Womack when he showed up to the funeral in Sam's clothes?

  34. #34
    unihikid Guest
    no that was after the funeral,because the cookes didnt go to the la funeral where bobby was.like a few weeks after the funeral barb and bobby went to chicago and thats when sams brothers kicked both thier asses.oh and if you have any bobby albums,theres always something sam owned or sam related on the covers.

  35. #35
    unihikid Guest
    heres a good casket pic,this is at his last furneral in chicago(he also had one in la).
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  36. #36
    unihikid Guest
    ok so as most of you know im a huge sam fan.bobby womack came out with a bio last year and its an ok read.so this is how it went down AFTER sam died.barbara was the one who got bobby to marry her,the cooke clan beat bobby and barb up,bobby falls in love with sams and barbs oldest linda,barb finds out and they split(linda later married bobbys younger brother cecil).vincent dies at a young age(maybe barb shouldnt of named him that).bobby moves on and barb is in northern ca,she did do a couple of interviews recently for the last sam cooke bio by his family.the house that sam lived in is pretty rad and is behind marshall high in los feliz,the sam cooke yahoo group has visited it and i think it might happen again this year.ill scan and post some pics of bobby and barb with sams kids.

  37. #37
    unihikid Guest
    top right pic is linda,bobby tracy barb and vincent(barb and bobs only child),the same year they split.oh and the furniture which was picked out by sam.
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  38. #38
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    That's just weird how Bobby got with Sam's woman and wore his clothes, and used his things. It was almost as if he thought he could be Sam.

  39. #39
    RetroFanatic Guest
    That is some weird shit how Bobby was sitting up in that house wearing Sam's clothes. He thought he was doing Sam a favor by being married to Barbara as well as being a comforting figure for her, but I found it (and still do) disrespectful. It speaks volumes about her as well. You know how Sam was reported to have had a bad temper right? Well, I can imagine his ghost raising hell on the both of them in that place. The way Bobby explained the living situation and the marriage in his book, it was a mess.
    Last edited by RetroFanatic; 11-03-2008 at 10:18 AM.

  40. #40
    unihikid Guest
    yeah it was a mess.but i kinda feel for barb,all she wanted was to be loved by sam,he didnt do that,he only married her because of linda and thier past together.he didnt want her around and she had to deal with sams girls,i have mixed feelings but imo all 3 were wrong and barb suffered the most.

  41. #41
    RetroFanatic Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by unihikid View Post
    yeah it was a mess.but i kinda feel for barb,all she wanted was to be loved by sam,he didnt do that,he only married her because of linda and thier past together.he didnt want her around and she had to deal with sams girls,i have mixed feelings but imo all 3 were wrong and barb suffered the most.
    I think the circumstances in which they (Sam and Barbara) were said to have married under are weird. It gives me the impression that love was the least factor; On both sides (Sam and Barbara). I've heard of widows wanting their husbands to come back in the physical form, but she took to a whole other level.

  42. #42
    darock299 Guest
    there was a articleon line from kittycatt1 online...and in that article it said that sam had 3 kids and a daughter drowned...but today my book on sam i ordered on amazon came and when i read it...i'll share the info with yo...you wrote some good stuff though...i'll let you know more after i read the book...hope its a good read
    thanks for the info

  43. #43
    unihikid Guest
    well alot of people say that his daughter drowned.it was his soon vincent,they (barb and sam)later adopted a boy and named him vincent but i think the mother wanted him back.sam had other children,i think 2 other girls,and an adopted son named joey from his first marriage to dolores mohawk who died in a car accident after there divorce in 1958,in a 1958 oldsmobile that sam bought for her.

  44. #44
    Taggerez Guest
    Here's the story on Sam Cooke's death:

    Bertha Franklin and Lisa Boyer were partners in something of a badger game. Boyer would lure men to the Hacienda Motel (which I think Franklin owned) and steal their wallets after they undressed. She then would run out of the room to a safe area (likely another motel room) where she couldn't be found. Most of the victims were married men caught with their pants down. Boyer (who had a rap sheet as a hooker) ripped Cooke off and ran to the safe room but Sam headed straight for the manager's office, wearing nothing but a shoe and a sports coat. There he demanded to know where Boyer was and apparently got rough with Franklin who shot him. Sam likely figured out the score on Franklin and Boyer's scam and headed for the source. Cooke was carrying a fat roll on him to buy Christmas presents.

  45. #45
    ghoulgurl Guest
    I love Sam Cooke!

  46. #46
    unihikid Guest
    yeah thats pretty much what the p.i.'s found out after his death.some say that he had about 5000 in cash on him so it would make sense,they did find about 1300 on him but did not find his credit cards.i was reading the latimes on line yesterday and they mentioned you could stay at the haicenda hotel where sam cooke died....yeah about that its kinda been torn down for about 4 or 5 years.

  47. #47
    John Connor Guest
    Beautiful voice.


    Death
    Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964 at the Hacienda Motel at 9137 South Figueroa in Los Angeles, California, which has since been torn down. He was shot dead by Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel who claimed that he had threatened her, and that she killed him in self-defense. The shooting was ultimately ruled to be a justifiable homicide,[8] though there have been arguments that crucial details did not come out in court, or were buried afterward. Cooke was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California.
    The rest of Sam Cooke family resides in the towns of Manor and Austin Texas.
    Some posthumous releases followed, many of which became hits, including "A Change Is Gonna Come", an early protest song which is generally regarded as his greatest composition.[12] After Cooke's death, his widow, Barbara, married Bobby Womack. Cooke's daughter, Linda, later married Bobby's brother, Cecil.[11]

    [edit] Controversy

    The details of the case involving Cooke's death are still in dispute. The official police record[13] states that Cooke was shot dead by Bertha Franklin, the manager of the Hacienda Motel, where Cooke had checked in earlier that evening. Franklin claimed that Cooke had broken into the manager's office/apartment in a rage, wearing nothing but a shoe and a sports coat (with nothing beneath it) demanding to know the whereabouts of a woman who had accompanied him to the hotel. Franklin said that the woman was not in the office and that she told Cooke this, but the enraged Cooke did not believe her and violently grabbed her, demanding again to know the woman's whereabouts. According to Franklin, she grappled with Cooke, the two of them fell to the floor, and she then got up and ran to retrieve her gun. She said that she then fired at Cooke in self-defense because she feared for her life. According to Franklin, Cooke exclaimed, "Lady, you shot me," before finally falling, mortally wounded.
    According to Franklin and to the motel's owner, Evelyn Carr, they had been on the phone together at the time of the incident. Thus, Carr claimed to have overheard Cooke's intrusion and the ensuing conflict and gunshots. Carr called the police to request that they go to the motel, informing them that she believed a shooting had occurred.
    A coroner's inquest was convened to investigate the incident. The woman who had accompanied Cooke to the motel was identified as Elisa Boyer, who had also called the police that night shortly before Carr did. Boyer had called the police from a phone booth near the motel, telling them she had just escaped from being kidnapped.
    Boyer told the police that she had first met Cooke earlier that night and had spent the evening in his company. She claimed that after they left a local nightclub together, she had repeatedly requested that he take her home, but that he instead took her against her will to the Hacienda Motel. She claimed that once in one of the motel's rooms, Cooke physically forced her onto the bed and that she was certain he was going to rape her. According to Boyer, when Cooke stepped into the bathroom for a moment, she quickly grabbed her clothes and ran from the room. She claimed that in her haste, she had also scooped up most of Cooke's clothing by mistake. She said that she ran first to the manager's office and knocked on the door seeking help. However, she said that the manager took too long in responding, so, fearing Cooke would soon be coming after her, she fled the motel altogether before the manager ever opened the door. She claimed she then put her own clothing back on, stashed Cooke's clothing away and went to the phone booth from which she called the police.
    Boyer's story is the only account of what happened between the two that night. However, her story has long been called into question. Because of inconsistencies between her version of events and details reported by other witnesses as well as circumstantial evidence (e.g., cash that Cooke was reportedly carrying was never recovered, and Boyer was soon after arrested for prostitution) [14], many people feel it is more likely that Boyer went willingly to the motel with Cooke and then slipped out of the room with Cooke's clothing in order to rob him rather than to escape an attempted rape.
    Ultimately, such questions were beyond the scope of the inquest, whose purpose was simply to establish the circumstances of Franklin's role in the shooting, not to determine exactly what had happened between Cooke and Boyer preceding that. Boyer's leaving the motel room with almost all of Cooke's clothing, regardless of exactly why she did so, combined with the fact that tests showed Cooke was inebriated at the time, seemed to provide a plausible explanation for Cooke's bizarre behavior and state of dress, as reported by Franklin and Carr. This explanation, together with the fact that Carr, from what she said she had overheard, corroborated Franklin's version of events, was enough to convince the coroner's jury to accept Franklin's explanation that it was a case of justifiable homicide. With that verdict, authorities officially closed the case on Cooke's death.[15]
    However, some of Cooke's family and supporters have rejected not only Boyer's version of events but also Franklin's and Carr's. They believe that there was a conspiracy to murder Cooke and that the murder took place in some manner entirely different from Franklin, Boyer, and Carr's official accounts. Nevertheless, no solid, reviewable evidence supporting a conspiracy theory has been presented to date.[16][17][18]
    My brother was first class all the way. He would not check into a $3-a-night motel; that wasn't his style.
    â?? Agnes Cooke-Hoskins, sister of Sam Cooke, attending the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2005



  48. #48
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    The Sticks
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    I believe he was murdered. I read the book and I read the crimelibrary.com profile and the formal police report does not make sense to me.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





  49. #49
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
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    Having read the evidence and the crimelibrary.com story, my conclusions are that he was drunk, took a good-time girl to a seedy motel where he'd done business before with the thought of indulging in his pastime of philandery, and got rolled. Enraged and believing the thief was hiding in the motel office, he broke in and physically accosted the terrified night clerk, who proceeded to shoot and beat him in self-defense.

  50. #50
    unihikid Guest
    theres a good radio npr thing about him,when his father was at the inquest he asked ms franklin who was sitting in front of him "why did you kill my boy" and she replied "i didnt"..........its towards the end of the show,but ill find the link.

    all is all i think he was set up,not by the mob but by some high rolling pimps of some sort,cause it was stated that sam had met the girl before,she most likely told her pimp that "hey this sam cooke guy is loaded.."oh and yeah it was his bday a few days ago.

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