SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
And in other music news, Sam Moore, half of the iconic 1960's soul duo Sam & Dave, has died.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOUL MAN")
SAM AND DAVE: (Singing) I'm a soul man. I'm a soul man.
DETROW: Moore was best known for singing enduring soul hits like "Soul Man," "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and more. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with his counterpart, Dave Prater, in 1992. Their music influenced artists like Michael Jackson, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen, among others. But before he rose to soul music stardom, Moore got a start singing as a young kid at church. Here's Moore in a 2006 interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
SAM MOORE: I remember the first time I was given a solo to sing with the adult choir. I forgot the words.
TERRY GROSS: Oh, no (laughter).
MOORE: I did. I did. I did. I mean, it was a most embarrassing situation because here's this little guy standing up before the big choir. And I have this solo to sing, and they're going to be singing behind me. And I forgot the words.
DETROW: Moore met Dave Prater in 1961 in Miami. The two quickly became a popular local duo, transforming the call-and-response tradition of gospel music into an energetic stage act.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HOLD ON, I'M COMIN'")
SAM AND DAVE: (Singing) Just hold on, I'm coming. Hold on, I'm coming. I'm on my way...
DETROW: The two were also a volatile duo. Moore says they argued a lot and that their drug use made the problems worse. The group faded from popularity after the 1960s. They broke up in 1970. "Soul Man" hit the charts again when "Saturday Night Live" stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd covered it as the Blues Brothers. Moore had mixed feelings about the hit becoming associated with that act. He recalls younger audiences thinking it was a Blues Brothers original. Moore kept recording and singing long after, releasing his final album, "Overnight Sensational," in 2006. Moore was 89 years old.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN")
MOORE: (Singing) I can't stand the rain against my window. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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