SAM MOORE,
1935-2025

Legendary R&B singer Sam Moore, whose work as half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Sam and Dave made him a staple on soundtracks and personal playlists for decades, died 1/10 at his home in Coral Gables, Florida, after undergoing an unspecified surgery. He was 89.

The Miami native first attained success after joining forces with Dave Prater in 1961, a partnership that would fracture for the first time in 1970, after Prater shot his then-wife. The men rekindled their musical relationship several times until a final split in 1981, after which Prater attempted to jumpstart multiple versions of Sam and Dave with different “Sam” characters. Moore formed an organization called "Artists and Others Against Imposters" and testified before Congress on that topic in 1989.

In 2002, Moore told The Independent, “I initiated the break-up, But I’ve seen very many more evil and abusive men than Dave. After the incident with the gun, I said to Dave, ‘Look, I’ll sing with you, but I’ll never talk to you again, ever.’ So for 12 years, we worked together, but our lives were completely separate.”

Prior to things turning sour, the duo scored multiple top 5 hits on the R&B chart after signing with Stax Records and aligning with the songwriting and production team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They also hit the Pop Top 10 with “I Thank You” and “Soul Man,” which became their signature song.

The pair later banked scores of syncs with their hits, including Lincoln and Oreo spots for “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” a ubiquitous Walmart ad for “Thank You” and a Michelob Ultra commercial featuring "Worth It."

“Soul Man” enjoyed a second life when sung by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the 1980 blockbuster The Blues Brothers, and Moore also appeared on screen in the 1988 comedy Tapeheads, in which he and fellow R&B vet Junior Walker portrayed a musical duo called the Swanky Modes.

It took until 2006 for Moore to release his first solo album, the well-received Rhino collection Overnight Sensational, which boasted appearances by Eric Clapton, Vince Gill, Billy Gibbons, Sting and Mariah Carey. He remained active into the current decade, joining Bruce Springsteen for a pair of songs on his 2022 soul covers album Only the Strong Survive, a reprise of their collaboration on Springsteen’s 1992 set Human Touch.

Springsteen took to Instagram on 1/11 to write, “Over on E Street, we are heartbroken to hear of the death of Sam Moore, one of America’s greatest soul voices. He was filled with stories of the halcyon days of soul music, and to the end had that edge of deep authenticity in his voice I could only wonder at.”

Moore is survived by his wife, Joyce; daughter, Michelle; and two grandchildren.