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Cooke Sam Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Cooke Sam Quizzes, Trivia

Sam Cooke Trivia

Sam Cooke Trivia Quizzes

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6 Sam Cooke quizzes and 60 Sam Cooke trivia questions.
1.
  Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Learn more about this affecting Sam Cooke song.
Average, 10 Qns, skylarb, Nov 05 21
Average
skylarb
Nov 05 21
262 plays
2.
  Sam Cooke   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sam Cooke was a music legend. Test your knowledge with these ten questions.
Average, 10 Qns, Elanor, Nov 26 04
Average
Elanor
1174 plays
3.
  Lyrics Of Sam Cooke    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Between 1957 and 1964, Sam Cooke had 37 songs on the Billboard Top 100/Hot 100 charts. From the lyrics given, can you name ten of those songs? Relax, and remember: All songs listed are by Sam Cooke.
Easier, 10 Qns, lowtechmaster, Sep 17 17
Easier
lowtechmaster
348 plays
4.
  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sam Cooke was one of the greatest R&B performers of his era. See how much you know of this legendary singer, who some credit with inventing soul music.
Tough, 10 Qns, ralzzz, Jun 29 08
Tough
ralzzz gold member
783 plays
5.
  Soul Man, Sam Cooke    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
What do you know about the man and his life? Take this quiz and find out.
Tough, 10 Qns, shortdog, Mar 03 10
Tough
shortdog
296 plays
6.
  The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the man that I believe to be the best singer/songwriter in history. If you enjoy his music and life, then you should enjoy!
Difficult, 10 Qns, shedoesntcare, Nov 10 09
Difficult
shedoesntcare
271 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Sam launched his pop career with record label Keen. His first hit was released in 1957. What was it called?

From Quiz "Sam Cooke"





Sam Cooke Trivia Questions
1. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was Sam Cooke's response to what song by Bob Dylan?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: Blowin' in the Wind

Rolling Stone magazine reports that Sam Cooke heard Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963 and was "profoundly inspired and disturbed" by it. The magazine quotes Cooke: "Jeez, a white boy writing a song like that?" Cooke's response, reports the magazine, was "A Change Is Gonna Come." Dylan's song begins: "How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? How many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind The answer is blowin' in the wind."

2. In which Sam Cooke song are these words? "Another fella told me he had a sister who looked just fine. Instead of my deliverance, she had a strange resemblance To a cat named Frankenstein."

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: Another Saturday Night

All four songs made the Billboard Hot 100. "Another Saturday Night" scored a number ten in 1963. At number 31 were "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" in 1961 and "Cousin Of Mine" in 1964. "Somebody Have Mercy" got to number 70 in 1962.

3. Samuel Cook was born in which U.S. city and state in 1931?

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: Clarksdale, Mississippi

Sam was born in 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1933.

4. Who did Sam Cooke replace in the Soul Stirrers?

From Quiz Soul Man, Sam Cooke

Answer: R.H. Harris

James Cleveland once sang with The Caravans; Wilson Pickett sang with the Violinaires. Solomon was a child prodigy. Both Solomon Burke and Wilson Pickett had several soul hits in the 60s.

5. In which state was Sam Cooke born?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke

Answer: Mississippi

Sam Cooke was born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, MS. His birth name was Samuel Cook. Cooke moves to Chicago as a youngster where he gets involved with music in the church where his father was the reverend.

6. With what name was Sam Cooke born?

From Quiz Sam Cooke

Answer: Samuel Cook

He added the extra 'e' out of superstition. He wanted a stage name that had an even number of letters. He did record a single under the name Dale Cooke early in his career.

7. "I was born by the river in a little" what?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: tent

"I was born by the river in a little tent Oh and just like the river I've been running ev'r since It's been a long time, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will." "A Change Is Gonna Come" was written by Sam Cooke, conducted and arranged by René Hall, and produced by Hugo & Luigi. It first appeared on Sam Cooke's 1964 album "Ain't That Good News."

8. Sam Cooke sang these lyrics in what tune? "One more thing. I tried to treat you right, But you stayed out, stayed out late at night. But I forgive you...."

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: Bring It On Home To Me

The lyrics are from the 1962 song "Bring It On Home To Me" that got to number 13 on Billboard's Hot 100. Also on the Hot 100, "Nothing Can Change This Love" reached number 12 in 1964 and "It's All Right" eased in at number 93 in 1961. "One More Time" (1962) failed to chart.

9. How many children did Charles and Annie Mae Cook have? (including both natural and adopted children)

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: Eight

Willie was actually Annie Mae's cousin whom they took in at the age of 3 upon his mother's death.

10. What is the name of the gospel group that gave Cooke his start?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke

Answer: The Soul Stirrers

The Soul Stirrers were a gospel group from Texas who featured R.H. Harris on lead vocals. Sam Cooke replaced Harris in 1950. The Soul Stirrers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 in the Early Influence category.

11. Where was Sam born?

From Quiz Sam Cooke

Answer: Mississippi

He was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on January 22nd 1931. He was one of five brothers and three sisters.

12. "It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die / 'Cause I don't know what's up there, beyond the" what?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: sky

The Library of Congress selected "A Change Is Gonna Come" for preservation in 2007 because of what the National Recording Registry determined to be its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance. Sam Cooke supplied lead vocals on the song. For the recording session, backing vocals were supplied by SR Crain, Paul Foster, Jimmie Outler, Richard Gibbs, and JJ Farley.

13. "All day long they work so hard till the sun is going down, Working on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown. You hear they moaning their lives away." What Sam Cooke song has these lines?

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: Chain Gang

"Chain Gang" was a smash number two hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1960. "Feel It" got to number 56 in 1961, and "That's Where It's At" barely made it at number 93 in 1964. "Forever" got to number 60 in 1960 on the Top 100 list.

14. At the age of 9, Sam formed a singing trio with two of his sisters. What was the name of the group?

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: The Singing Children

Sam later joined The Highway Q.C.s and The Soul Stirrers.

15. What was Sam Cooke's first secular single?

From Quiz Soul Man, Sam Cooke

Answer: 'Loveable'

His first non-gospel release was 'Loveable', recorded under the name Dale Cooke. This was done partially to attempt not to alienate his huge gospel following, but, no one was fooled.

16. What was Sam Cooke's first number one single?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke

Answer: You Send Me

"You Send Me" was released on the tiny Keen Records in 1957 and quickly rose to the top of the pop and R&B charts. The song knocked the Elvis Presley hit "Jailhouse Rock" from its top spot.

17. To which big city did the Cooke family move in 1933?

From Quiz Sam Cooke

Answer: Chicago

Sam's father, Charles, was a church minister in the Bronzeville district of the city, and it was here that Sam began singing gospel songs, at an early age.

18. "I go to the movie and I go downtown / Somebody keep tellin' me don't" what?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: hang around

According to Rolling Stone magazine, these lines are an allusion to an event in Sam Cooke's own life. While on tour in October of 1963, Sam Cooke was "arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, for disturbing the peace" after he and his entourage "tried to register at a white motel - an incident reflected in the song's third verse." This incident was one of the inspirations for the song, which speaks of a time when things will finally change with regard to the treatment of African-Americans: "It's been a long, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will."

19. From which Sam Cooke song come these words? "I got a letter just the other day Tellin' me that she was on her way And she want me to meet her at the station."

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: (Ain't That) Good News

On Billboard's Hot 100 in 1964, "(Ain't That) Good News" peaked at number 11. In 1962, "Baby, Baby, Baby" got to number 66. "I'll Come Running Back To You" scored at number 18 on the Top 100 list in 1957. "I Belong To Your Heart" (1960) did not chart.

20. In what year did Sam become the lead singer of The Soul Stirrers?

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: 1951

This was the beginning of Sam's wonderful, yet brief gospel career. Sam was strongly urged to continue his career as a gospel singer. However, in 1956 he went secular with the release of "Loveable" under the name Dale Cook. This, of course, fooled no one as his voice was one of the most recognizable on the radio.

21. When was Sam Cooke murdered?

From Quiz Soul Man, Sam Cooke

Answer: December 11th, 1964

In Los Angeles, California. His birthday was January 22nd.

22. Cooke left Keen Records after only two years due to a royalty dispute. His first album on his new label was the live "Cooke's Tour". What label did Cooke leave Keen to join?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke

Answer: RCA

Cooke nearly signed with Atlantic Records, but they wanted publishing rights to his songs. Cooke knew the business side of the industry and realized he needed a deal that would give him rights to his own publishing. RCA offered him the deal he wanted and the rest is history.

23. "Then I go to my brother / And I say brother help me please / But he winds up knockin' me / Back down on my" what?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: knees

Here the singer pleads for help in the face of discrimination, but ends up only being knocked down by the establishment. William Hinshaw on French horn lends a sense of melancholy to the song, while Emil Radocchia carries the bridge on timpani. The strings (viola, violin, and cello) complement the second verse.

24. Which 1962 Sam Cooke hit included these lyrics? "Here they have a lot of fun Puttin' trouble on the run. Man you find the old and young ...."

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: Twistin' The Night Away

"Twistin' The Night Away" was a number nine hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. The other songs also reached the Hot 100: "Having A Party" (number 17 in 1962), "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha" (number 31 in 1959), and "So Glamorous" (number 81 in 1960).

25. What was the name of the singer that Sam replaced as the lead of The Soul Stirrers?

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: R.H. Harris

SR Crain hand picked Sam to replace RH Harris in 1951. Johnnie Taylor would later replace Sam in the group.

26. How long after Sam Cooke's murder did his widow remarry?

From Quiz Soul Man, Sam Cooke

Answer: 3 months

She married Bobby Womack. It caused quite a controversy at the time. It almost cost the gentleman his career.

27. What is the name of the record label Cooke formed?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Sam Cooke

Answer: SAR Records

SAR Records released albums by the Soul Stirrers, Bobby Womack and Billy Preston. SAR Records was formed in 1961 and the initial release was by the Soul Stirrers. Cooke also formed the publishing company called Kags Music.

28. "There have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long / But now I think I'm able to" what?

From Quiz Song by Song: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Answer: carry on

According to Rolling Stone magazine, "Cooke's mourning for his 18-month-old son, Vincent, who drowned that June, resonates in" this verse. This song was ranked third in Pitchfork Media's "200 Greatest Songs of the 60s." list. Although it didn't hit the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it did peak at number 9 on the Billboard R&B single chart.

29. "Don't know much about geometry Don't know much about trigonometry Don't know much about algebra Don't know what a slide rule is for" Teens danced to these words in what Sam Cooke number?

From Quiz Lyrics Of Sam Cooke

Answer: Wonderful World

In 1960 "Wonderful World" was a number 12 song on the Billboard Hot 100. "Love You Most Of All" (number 26 in 1958) and "Summertime" (number 81 in 1957) charted on the Billboard Top 100.

30. What was the name of Sam's wife?

From Quiz The Man and his Music: Sam Cooke

Answer: Barbara

Aretha Franklin's father once almost caught them together in her room. Aretha claims that she would have married Sam one day, had they not been scared away from one another.

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