Sam Moore, formerly of the musical duo Sam and Dave, died at the age of 89, reports the New York Times. Moore died in the hospital after receiving surgery, his wife and manager, Joyce Moore, told the outlet. As Sam and Dave, he and Dave Prater were the creators for hits like “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and “I Thank You.” First meeting in 1961 at the King of Hearts Club in Miami, Sam and Dave were both discovered by music producer Henry Stone and signed to Roulette Records before eventually moving on to Atlantic Records just three years later, where their hits were born. Throughout their music partnerships, they experienced multiple breakups, the first one being in 1970. They would eventually get back together before formally ending their duo in 1981 with one final performance in San Francisco.
As a solo act, Moore lived in the shadows of Sam and Dave; Prater hired Sam Daniels so he could continue some version of the “Sam and Dave” act, limiting Moore’s opportunities as a solo artist. He eventually pursued legal action against Prater and Moore, created the Artists and Others Against Imposters organization, and testified before Congress. The Blues Brothers performed a cover of “Soul Man” on SNL in 1978, reigniting interest in the song; another resurgence came when Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh covered the song on their show. More recently, Moore performed at the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017. At the time he explained his reasoning as to performing as a way to unify the country: “I honestly believe that if we can accomplish this, the best is yet to come. We all as Americans need to unite behind our new president and give him a chance. He needs everyone’s support to make America greater, stronger and an even better country.”
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