I've readed Peter Guralnick's two volume biography of Elvis Presely and was very impressed and have been meaing to pick up his work on the life and times of Sam Cooke for some time. I've had the book in my hand at different times while at the bookstore, but never ended up walking out with it. Well the other day the hardback was on the mark down table and it was too good a deal to pass up.I got home with it and thought I'd read the first chapter while I had lunch. Three hours later I found myself still immershed in the book. I couldn't put it down. I really knew nothing of Sam Cooke's life beyond his singing, so pretty much all of it was new to me. Guralnick does an amazing job of bringing Sam Cooke to life. He doesn't white wash Sam's life, he presents his life as it was. I would rate this as one of the best music biographies I have ever read.
The video clip is the first part of a BBC show on his life and features some interviews as well as some of his singing.
3 comments:
Unfortunately there are a lot of errors in Mr. Guralnick's book, including the misidentification of the young boy pictured in the first frame of the video. That is NOT Sam Cooke, it's his younger brother L.C. I tell a rather different (and what I'd like to think is more accurate) side of my uncle's story.
Erik Greene
Author, "Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story From His Family's Perspective"
www.OurUncleSam.com
Sam Cook is one of my favorites. I will have to check out both of those.
Love Sam Cooke's music!
On a different subject - I'm waiting for the post about the Jazz Fest schedules, I have so many conflicts!?!
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