One of soul's most important voices and most tragic figures, Sam Cooke was one of the early soul singers to make the transition from gospel to the secular world of soul music. Cooke was the son of a Mississippi preacher, and he spent his youth in church choirs and gospel groups. He joined the Soul Stirrers in 1950 and recorded and toured with the gospel group for six years before making his first foray into secular pop. His first big hit was the perennial (and self-penned) hit "You ...  [+]