CHICAGO, Ill. — The LJR Group today announced publication of a revised edition of the book “Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story From His Family’s Perspective” (ISBN: 1-4120-6498-8, www.ourunclesam.com). Written by Cooke’s great-nephew Erik Greene, Our Uncle Sam not only emphasizes Cooke’s accomplishments in music history, but gives the reader an inside look on the childhood influences that drove him to excel. Greene’s updated version details shocking revelations concerning Cooke’s business enterprises, disputes information contained in recently published material, and provides an account as to how and why Sam Cooke died that has never been explored.
After becoming an icon on the gospel circuit, Sam Cooke burst onto the pop scene with the 1957 release of his million-selling single, You Send Me. The song rose to #1 on both the R&B and Pop charts, and its innovative blend of Gospel, Pop, and R&B earned Cooke the title “The Man Who Invented Soul.” He would eventually chart an amazing 34 Top 40 R&B hits over his eight year pop career, writing and recording such classics as Chain Gang, Only Sixteen, Cupid, Wonderful World, Having a Party and A Change is Gonna Come. Sam Cooke was among the original inductees when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in 1986.
“Sam’s brothers and sisters do not receive direct royalties from his music, nor do they control his music catalog,” Greene adds. “Most people are shocked to learn this when they read my book. This fact has bothered the family ever since Sam died, because those closest to Sam knew that wasn’t what he intended.”
Sam Cooke was one of the first artists, Black or White, to demand control of his publishing rights when he negotiated his unprecedented recording contract with RCA in 1960. He fought persistently to educate other artists by encouraging them to take control of their careers in a similar fashion. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his 1964 death in a Los Angeles motel shocked and saddened music fans worldwide. Now, these issues and more have been directly addressed in Our Uncle Sam.
“A wise man once said ‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant’,” Greene concludes. “And as far as I’m concerned, truer words were never spoken. My uncle deserves his day in the sun.”
BOOK INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA
Review copies and interviews with the author may be arranged by request:
Title: Our Uncle Sam
Author: Erik Greene
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1-4120-6498-8
6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ softcover, 256 pp., 50+ photos, $22.50
UPC: 9 781412 064989
A copy of the front book jacket can be found online here:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erik Greene is the grandson of Sam Cooke’s oldest sister, Mary. Born 18 months after Cooke died, the collection of childhood stories, life experiences, and unpleasant memories of Sam’s tragic ending was as much a learning process as it was a literary venture. He talked intimately with family members — often in one-on-one settings and over the course of several years — until he was able to get a better understanding of Sam Cooke “the person” as well as Sam Cooke “the Gospel and Soul Superstar.”
ABOUT THE LJR GROUP
The LJR Group is a full service public relations firm located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. LJRG focuses on getting the right message to the right people at the right time –providing clients with optimal public relations, public affairs representation, and counsel.
[tags]Sam Cooke biography, music history book, Trafford Publishing[/tags]
