60 years ago today (12/11/64), soul singer Sam Cooke was killed at age 33 when the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles (where rooms cost $3 a night) shot him three times. The manager claims that Cooke assaulted her and that he tried to rape his companion. Known for hits like “A Change Is Gonna Come,” “Cupid,” and “You Send Me,” Cooke was a trailblazer who merged gospel with pop and became a voice for social change. His influence on soul, R&B, and rock remains profound. Watch Cooke perform “Twistin’ the Night Away” live in 1963
