Sam Cooke died tragically on December 11, 1964, at 33.
Cooke rescued himself from what he considered financial insolvency by leaving the Gospel industry, an industry that even in 2018 is still reputed to be outrageously frugal, for the more generous and profitable secular music industry.
He admitted to Dick Clark when posed with the question, “Why did you leave Gospel?” responding, “For financial reasons,” Cooke also had greater plans and wanted to be a music industry executive.
At the time of his death, Sam Cooke was living in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. He entered the music industry at a time when it was wholly ruled by corruption, broken legs, extremely shady deals, and ass-kickings. It was a dangerous world that many in the gospel industry thought the former singer was selling his soul for … some even prophesied his early demise.
The gospel industry didn’t see Cooke’s bigger picture in mind as his friend Lou Rawls stated, “Sam would have been the first Berry Gordy.”
Sam Cooke, said to be an astute businessman, wanted to create a vehicle for other black singers to get out of being pigeonholed on the Billboard R&B charts and chitlin’ circuits and to make money for the work they deserved.
He crossed over in the days when very few Black artists had the opportunity. In addition, Cooke owned his work and masters, which didn’t sit well with some people, according to elders in the industry.
Sam Cooke is Murdered
Rawls stated Cooke picked the baby up and said “What’s wrong man?” but the baby continued to cry and Rawls stated his German Sheppard, who was always under the baby’s crib, got up and left when Cooke came by as if he knew something was wrong. Rawls’ mother later revealed to him that babies and animals keenly know when someone is about to die or tragedy is about to occur.
Rawls stated even after Cooke left, his son would not stop crying, and he told Sam he couldn’t go to PJs because he thought his son was sick.
Sam Cooke’s Fateful Night: A Series of Events Leading to Tragic Consequences
Sam first stopped by Martoni’s Italian restaurant in the San Fernando Valley outside of Los Angeles to meet friends for dinner, where he spotted an attractive Asian woman sitting with three men named Elisa Boyer, who was 22 at the time.
Within no time, Sam was cuddled up with Boyer in the booth. Not much was said about the three men, but Sam was with her and hanging out with some music industry people there.
It’s unclear if this or PJs is where he met up with the KDAY DJs. But he and Boyer eventually left and went to PJs. The bar was a hangout for entertainers in LA, and Sam allegedly got into a heated argument with a few men in the club who were hitting on Boyer; Boyer stated
Once Cooke and Boyer arrived at the hotel, Cooke got out of the car, leaving Boyer alone in the passenger seat while he went to register for the hotel room.
The clerk, Bertha Franklin, peered to the side of Cooke and saw Boyer in Cooke’s car and informed him that he would have to register as Mr and Mrs.
Unanswered Questions Surrounding Sam Cooke and Elisa Boyer: Inconsistencies and Speculations in the Trial
This was a pristine opportunity for Boyer to escape or signal Franklin that
Boyer stated that Cooke dragged her into the room while drunk, took off his clothes, and then proceeded to take off her sweater and skirt, leaving her on the bed with her bra and panties on. She stated Sam Cooke Didn’t Think he Needed Security and Often Traveled with Wads of Cash
These were the days before rape kits and DNA, so this part of the investigation was never completed, and it was never determined if Cooke and Boyer had had sex. Cooke was always said to carry at least $2000 in cash in his wallet, which 1964 was like $20,000. We’re talking about a time when the average rent for an apartment was $75.00 to $100.00 monthly. Since he had been buying drinks and dinner and was inebriated, there is no question Boyer saw the wad of cash he was carrying. However, after the murder and
Cooke’s actions when he discovered his wallet and clothes were missing, upon returning from the bathroom, according to the desk clerk, a portly 55-year-old former madam named Bertha Frankin, didn’t add up either. She stated he banged on the office door looking for the woman, completely naked except for one shoe and a suit jacket. Today the first thing that would be done is a toxicology report on Cooke’s blood, and there is a good chance it would have been discovered he probably slipped a mickey or some other drug by his alleged bizarre actions. Wouldn’t even a drunk person wrap themselves in a drunk Cooke and ran to grab the gun off the top of the fridge, and
Singer Etta James went to view Cooke’s corpse and immediately knew the whole story was not being told. She stated Sam was so badly beaten he was almost decapitated, and both hands were bruised and completely cru
Boyer was arrested just a few months after Cooke died for prostitution, and
She sued Sam Cooke’s estate after killing him for $200,000 (like a million dollars in the 60s) for the anguish and physical injuries it took for her to kill him. She was awarded $30,000 as a settlement. It is beyond evident there is a lot more to this story. Cooke would be 86 if he was still alive today. Some speculate that Cooke’s former manager Allen Klien may have had some involvement in the situation. Klien had Cooke sign an agreement for a company he created called Tracey, LTD, named after Cooke’s daughter that would allow Cooke to be spared of IRS scrutiny but greatly benefited Klien as the owner of Sam’s work if he died. Sam’s wife Barbara ended up selling the remainder of Sam’s work to Klien. Cook’s life and everybody involved with him were in shambles. He and his wife were living separate lives in their home in LA and were on the verge of divorce. His first wife died in a car accident. His mentee before he died was 21-year-old Bobby Womack, who ended up marrying his wife, Barbara, just three months after Sam Cooke died in 1965, getting him blackballed in the industry. Barbara allegedly found out Bobby and her then-18-year-old daughter by Cooke was having an affair in 1970, and
Unresolved Mysteries and Suspicious Events Surrounding Sam Cooke’s Death: A Deeper Dive into the Controversial Aftermath
Allegations of Betrayal and Suspicious Business Deals: The Intriguing Connections Surrounding Sam Cooke’s Manager Allen Klein
Points to consider about Sam Cooke’s Murder:
The story of Sam’s death will NEVER be told in its entirety. I’ve been listening to/researching Sam’s life since I was a kid and, at age 45, I’m still no closer to the truth of what happened to Sam other than that the “official” account is categorically false on every single account. Sam Cooke was beaten to death and shot posthumously. Why do I say that? Lack of blood at the crime scene. In every known film footage/picture of a dead Sam Cooke slumped near naked against a wall, there is barely any blood to be seen. This points to the FACT that Sam was not killed in that spot but posed there after his demise. Had he been shot while alive, there would have been massive amounts of blood pooled all around him which would be plainly visible on the evidence. There isn’t. Also, examining the casket photo, his hands are clearly broken with his fingers dislocated and bruises plainly visible. The official version of his death says nothing of Cooke beating either Boyer or Franklin much less with such force as to break his own hands and fingers. Lastly, it is known that Sam crossed the Mob. While even the new documentary on Netflix points to Sam having rejected the Mob, that is false. The music industry, then as now, is set up in a way where NOBODY becomes world famous unless they play ball with the powers that be. It just isn’t possible. There is no such thing as a self made star…much less a star of Sam’s caliber at the time of this death. Sam Cooke, as much as people still don’t want to believe or admit this, was a product of the industry and, as such, had to do certain things in order to reach the level of success and fame he’d enjoyed. In short, he was not only in with the mob/illuminati, he was (like any other star than and now) OWNED by them. At some point he became too convinced of his own talent and started to tug at his leash a little too hard. This never ends well and it cost him his life. You see, Sam was very headstrong.
He knew his talent and he desperately wanted to make it big so, when given the nod by the powers that be, he jumped on it without thinking of the consequences this would, inevitably, bring upon him. He signed the dotted line BUT Sam wanted out once he realized what was going on. Perhaps he didn’t truly comprehend how deep in he was and that there is no getting out alive or with your career/reputation intact, but he turned his back on the same people that created him and gave him his fame and fortune. His son’s “accidental” drowning was a warning. It was their way of saying “Fall back in line or you’re next”. I don’t think Sam truly understood nor comprehended who he was dealing with. His son died in 1963. Sam followed his son into death a year and some months later. Coincidence? I think not. I know not. As for Allen Klein and JW Alexander having been complicit in Sam’s death. JW was a puppet and a traitor who always worked for the powers that be in an effort to undermine Sam’s independence but he wasn’t the killer. Did he know? Yes but he couldn’t warn Sam because that would have been his ass too. The real culprit was Allen Klein. He not only knew but was the middle man between the powers that be and Sam. Allen set up the murder in exchange for Sam’s catalog and royalties. He didn’t kill Sam either but he was the one that set it up and saw it through. It’s no accident that Sam’s family didn’t get a cent from his estate until AFTER Klein’s death, decades after Sam was killed. Bertha Franklin died a few years after Sam. She was an inconvenient witness who could have had a change of heart and came forward to say that Sam’s corpse was brought to the Hacienda Motel….not a living Sam Cooke. Lis Boyer was allowed to live because she was a known hooker and nobody would have believed her. Plus, she knew her fate would be sealed if she ever tried to tell the truth. She was killed in the early 80’s under unsolved circumstances. In the end, there has yet to be one book or documentary about Sam that gets it right. Why? As long as Sam has been dead, the powers that be will still not allow the truth to come out and any attempts to get too close aren’t worth the consequences. Same with Elvis, Otis Redding, James Brown, MJ, Prince and a long list of music and film legends who either passed too soon or whose passing never made sense or added up. Sam Cooke’s legacy, luckily, has endured through his once in 100 lifetimes voice and music….and because he still turns handsome annual profits for the powers that be from beyond the grave 55 years after his earthly demise. In summation, Sam Cooke was killed. Beaten to death and shot after death to set up the official story. The LAPD were in on it as was anyone in connection with his death….including his brother LC Cook who received a lifelong “allowance” from Allen Klein’s companies that afforded LC a comfortable life until his death in 2017! No explanation was ever given for this generous “gift” from the man who orchestrated his brothers’ murder. Sam Cooke played and lost the game of fame. They all do. The entertainment industry is like a Vegas Casino. You may win millions but, in the end, they take it all back. The house always wins.
been a sam cooke fan since my dad playing him on 8-tracks when I was a kid in the 1970s. I have NEVER bought this story about his death, and what you are writing here makes a lot of sense but I will take it one (giant) step further…this is my own suspicion / theory…the entertainment businesses (music, tv, movies) were created by the CIA as a form of mass MK Ultra…we know too much now about the way things operate in the world to deny this – I doubt he willingly sold his soul for his success, but rather was one of the folks who was entrapped in it (think Epstein drugging people, putting them in compromising positions and using video / photographic evidence to keep people in line – surely, they had an Epstein during Sam’s day)… Sam, IMO was lured by a honeypot (Boyer) & was killed by our own government. The seedy nature of this entire death was to humiliate him, black folks and GOD. Knowing what we know now about the FBI and CIA – is it that far of a stretch to think? I wonder if anyone has ever filed a FOIA request on everything pertaining to this case and if any of the FBI / CIA documents re: it have been declassified…if so, I imagine HEAVILY redacted.
Sadly, I don’t think Sam will ever receive justice. His death photo is actually a mob signature. Not only was his court case one-sided so were the media reports on him. His story has been suppressed for decades by the same industry that made him a star. Sam Cooke was as big as Elvis back in the day and he was actually offered the opportunity to headline in Las Vegas right before his demise. The mob owned the music industry back in the day and still does. Which leads me to believe he pissed the mob off. The 60s were a time of very strong racial prejudice and segregation. Jim Crow laws were in full affect during that time. Sam did and said alot of things that most black man during that era would have been too scared. I read he didn’t pay for the $14,000 giant poster of himself when he did Live at the Copa and he was supposed to (the copacabana was mafia owned). He thought that they should pay for it, he was approached by a few people in the industry urging him to pay for the poster but he refused. Allen Klein, his manager and accountant was helping him to get back paid royalties that were mysteriously withheld from previous record companies for FREE (?). The record labels had to pay Sam 2 large sums of money back that Klein discovered was withheld. He stopped paying for promotion (another thing the mob required purchase through them). Mind you it was unheard for a black man to do these things and get away with it. Sam didn’t need to rape any woman, he was the most handsome guy of his era. All types of women lined up to see him, touch him, or get a hug from him. His blood alcohol level was .14 at his time of death and he was shot execution style. There have been several books and documentaries about him. I personally enjoyeded the book that his best buddy Leroy Crume wrote, “Me and Sam.” All that being said, anyone with common sense can look at the facts regarding his case and immediately see that he was setup. To date no legal representative in the state of California will reopen his case. His family and friends have asked all the same questions that you have posted. The media only wants everyone to believe he was a womanizer and everything else is just a conspiracy. All those logical questions are just conspiracy related and he did it to himself. He was not a saint but he did NOT deserve to die the way he did. Sam was intellectual, kind, jovial, and a musical genius. He had a good heart and soul, he was the king of soul music.
I loved Sam Cooke. He’s my favorite singer of all time bc I never heard him sing a bad song. He was beaten to death and Bertha the pimp shot him after he was already beaten to death. Boyer was proven to be a murderer. Sam got no justice for These people killing him and stealing his money. it’s a shame he died the way he did and no one was ever charged for murder. I still listen to all of his songs and I sometimes cry bc justice was never given for him.
I believed the “official” account of Sam’s death until I saw the wake photos. His hands are mangled beyond belief. This has never been explained.
@J.A.Holland: Brilliant eye-opening analysis. Thank you very much, sir.