Songs & Times Of Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come

When Gary Pinto made his debut on stage paying homage to his music idol Sam Cooke in the Songs & Times Of Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come more than six months ago, he took audiences breath away. Not only did he embody the spirit of the late great soul man, but he brought something else special to the stage entirely—reigniting concert-goers passion for the music that shaped history. Night after night saw packed houses and standing ovations, with critics proclaiming ‘Gary Pinto IS Sam Cooke’.

Sam Cooke has been described as ‘the best singer that ever lived’, by legendary soul producer Jerry Wexler and was regarded by soul diva Aretha Franklin as a ‘genius’. His powerful, yet understated voice saw him break race and religious barriers in the 1950s and 1960s and made him one of the best-known African Americans in the world in his time. His first solo hit—You Send Me—was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for six-weeks. He had 29 Top 40 hits, such as Bring It On Home To Me, Chain Gang, Cupid, Another Saturday Night, Twistin’ The Night Away and Having A Party.

Sadly, the end of his life was sparked with drama. He apparently took to drinking to cope with the sadness in his life—the death of his first wife and subsequent death of his young son from his second marriage—and on the night of December 11, 1964 after a prostitute allegedly stole his clothes and money, he got in an argument with the motel manager who shot him four times. It was declared a justifiable homicide. There were always rumours that his death was the work of gangsters who had tried to move into his business enterprises and had been rebuffed, but nothing has been proven.

Songs & Times Of Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come will explore the interesting, uplifting and sad life of this legendary performer, and showcase the music that still lives on today.

Tickets for the summer season of the Songs & Times of Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come go on sale on Friday 12th July 2019.