Samuel Cook, born on January 22nd, 1931, Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S., known professionally as Sam Cooke, was a singer, songwriter, civil rights activist and entrepreneur. Influential as both a singer and composer, Cooke is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocals and importance within popular music. Sam began singing as a child, having joined The Soul Stirrers before moving on to a solo career, having a string of hit songs including "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' the Night Away", and "Bring it on Home to Me".