Legacy of Sam Cooke
Artists and genres Sam Cooke directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Aretha Franklinartist
Beverley Knightartist
Ted HawkinsartistTed Hawkins was an American singer-songwriter born in Biloxi, Mississippi. He split his time between his adopted hometown of Venice Beach, California, where he was a mostly anonymous street performer, and Europe and Australia, where he and his songs were better known and well received in clubs and small concert halls.
Buster BentonartistArley "Buster" Benton was an American blues guitarist and singer. He played guitar in Willie Dixon's Blues All-Stars and is best known for his solo rendition of Dixon's song "Spider in My Stew." Benton was tenacious, and despite the amputation of parts of both legs in the latter part of his lengthy career, he never stopped playing his own version of Chicago blues.
Carol DouglasartistCarol Douglas is an American singer whose hit "Doctor's Orders" (1974) was a pioneering track in the disco genre.
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana BrassartistHerbert Alpert is an American musician who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss.
Idris MuhammadartistIdris Muhammad was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such as Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Pharoah Sanders, Bob James, and Tete Montoliu.
Womack & WomackartistWomack & Womack was the singing and songwriting partnership of married American musicians Linda Womack and Cecil Womack. The duo were successful as songwriters for other artists and had several international hits as a singing duo in the 1980s and 1990s. Later recordings with other members of their family were credited to The House of Zekkariyas.
Lorenzoartist
Z.Z. HillartistArzell J. "Z. Z." Hill was an American blues singer best known for his recordings in the 1970s and early 1980s, including his 1982 album for Malaco Records, Down Home, which stayed on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years. The track "Down Home Blues" has been called the best-known blues song of the 1980s. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Hill "devised a combination of blues and contemporary soul styling and helped to restore the blues to modern black consciousness."
Miles CatonartistMiles Caton is an American musician and actor. He gained recognition for his role as Sammie in Ryan Coogler's horror film Sinners (2025), for which he received various accolades, including the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and nominations for two Actor Awards and the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
Lucky DayeartistDavid Debrandon Brown, professionally known as Lucky Daye, is an American singer-songwriter who works in the R&B genre. He signed with Keep Cool Records and RCA Records and released his first two extended plays entitled I (2018) and II (2019),leading to the release of his first studio album, Painted (2019). His third extended play, Table for Two (2021), won the Best Progressive R&B Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
Gavin DeGrawartistGavin Shane DeGraw is an American singer-songwriter. DeGraw rose to fame with his song "I Don't Want to Be" from his debut album Chariot (2003); the song became the main theme song for The WB/CW drama series One Tree Hill. Other notable singles from his debut album were the title track and "Follow Through".
Leon Haywoodartist
George Jacksonartist
Dan SealsartistDanny Wayland Seals, also known as England Dan, was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as one half of the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, who charted nine singles between 1976 and 1980, including the No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight".
Pat Kellyartist
The Von BondiesartistThe Von Bondies were an American rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1997. The band's breakthrough album, Pawn Shoppe Heart, was released in 2004 and features the singles "C'mon C'mon" and "Tell Me What You See".
BerhanaartistAmain Berhane, better known as Berhana, is an American singer-songwriter.
ExumaartistMacfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, known professionally as Tony McKay and Exuma, was a Bahamian musician, artist, playwright, and author best known for his music that blends folk, rock, carnival, junkanoo, calypso, reggae, and African music stylings.
LÉONartist
Caught a GhostartistCaught a Ghost is an indie electro soul band based in Los Angeles, California. The band is a project from Los Angeles singer, songwriter and producer Jesse Nolan and kindergarten classmate Stephen Edelstein. Their debut album, Human Nature, was released 1 April 2014.
The Grooveartist
Arthur ConleyartistArthur Lee Conley, also known in later years as Lee Roberts, was an American soul singer, best known for the 1967 hit "Sweet Soul Music".