Sam Moore, famed for 'Soul Man' with Sam & Dave, has died at 89

Legendary soul man Sam Moore, whose distinctive tenor powered numerous R&B classics from the 1960s, has died. He was 89.

According to a statement released by his representatives, Moore died Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, while recovering from surgery.

Along with Dave Prater, Moore recorded timeless hits including “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Comin'” and “I Thank You” as the duo Sam & Dave.

The duo, which broke up in 1970, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, a posthumous honor for Prater who died in 1988.

Moore was as regarded for his gleaming smile as his strong-yet-silken voice, an instrument so potent that Bruce Springsteen frequently referred to him as “the greatest living soul singer on the planet.” Moore joined Springsteen as a backup singer on the rocker’s 1992 “Human Touch” album as well as on 2023’s “Only the Strong Survive,” where he shared vocals with Springsteen on covers of “Soul Days” and “I Forgot to Be Your Lover.”

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Sam Moore will always be a 'soul man'

Born in 1935 in Miami, Moore grew up singing in churches in the city’s Overtown and Liberty city neighborhood. While friends and family – including fellow soul singer Sam Cooke – encouraged Moore to continue singing gospel, Moore had other ideas after seeing Jackie Wilson play at a local club: he wanted to be a pop star.

While working as the emcee and talent show host at the King O’ Hearts Club in Miami in 1961, Moore met Prater, who was trying out for the talent show. It was an immediate vocal match and the pair was soon signed to a record deal.  

But after Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler of the noted Atlantic Records witnessed Sam & Dave performing at the King O’ Hearts in 1964, they were offered a bigger deal with the label and subsequently “loaned out” to Atlantic’s southern arm, Stax Records.

The hits that followed – "You Don't Know Like I Know,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “When Something is Wrong With My Baby” and, in 1967, “Soul Man” – solidified their prowess.

That song, with its insinuating brass and molasses vocals, won a Grammy in 1967 for best performance, R&B group and was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

More than a decade later, with prominent placement on “Saturday Night Live” from The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi), “Soul Man” continued to live in pop culture lore.

Moore endured struggles in the ‘70s, including a severe heroin addiction and in the early ‘80s, his wife, Joyce McRae helped save his life by entering him into a clinical trial of the anti-opiate Naltrexone.

Sam Moore was a favorite among presidents

Moore was a regular presence at the Kennedy Center and in 2014 performed a moving rendition of “Take Me to the River” with Mavis Staples in tribute to Al Green at the Kennedy Center Honors.

He also performed for presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump and in 2002, finally released his long-shelved solo album, “Plenty Good Loving,” which was produced by saxophonist King Curtis, whose 1971 murder led to the album’s demise at the time.

Moore’s final solo release, “Overnight Sensational,” arrived in 2006 with features from prominent music names including Springsteen, Sting and Bon Jovi.

Moore is survived by McRae, daughter Michelle and grandchildren Tash and Misha.