The Music of Sam Cooke starring Bradd Marquis

City Winery Philadelphia presents The Music of Sam Cooke starring Bradd Marquis live on July 27th at 7:30pm

Throughout the late 1950s and early ’60s, the music of Sam Cooke flooded the airwaves. Hits such as “Wonderful World,” “You Send Me,” “Cupid,” “Twistin’ the Night Away” and many more Sam Cooke classics are still frequently heard today.

Although Cooke tragically lost his life in a controversial 1964 shooting incident, his legacy lives on in a rousing production created by Trenton native, Bradd Marquis. Although Marquis was born too late to experience Cooke in his heyday, he was very much influenced by the music he heard in his grandparents’ home.

“My grandparents loved Sam Cook and I grew up listening to his music,” Marquis said. “Later, a friend who thought I resembled Sam Cooke gave me a copy of his biography. After reading it and doing more research into his life, I began working on my own Sam Cooke Show, which I launched in 2009.”

Marquis consumed the music of the mid-20th century, not only focusing on Cooke, but learning about the cultural and social issues of the era. His show traces Cooke’s life from his birth in Clarksdale, Miss., to his death in a Los Angeles motel. Over a period of just 33 years, Cooke distinguished himself as a performer, businessman and civil rights activist. In his all-to-brief, eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that made the Billboard magazine Top 40 Chart and 20 hits that rose to the Top 10 on Billboard’s Black Singles Chart.

“Our show embodies the look, sound and emotions of the 1950s and 1960s,” Marquis said. “It was a transitional time when the gospel roots of soul and rock music were evident in the work of performers like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, James Brown and many others. It was also an era when the contributions of Black performers gained acceptance from white audiences. Crossover artists like Sam Cook, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr., had a broad appeal that you can see today in the make-up of our audiences. We draw people from all ages, races and backgrounds. Many 50-, 60- and 70-year-old white couples come to hear the music and learn about the life of Sam Cooke. These diverse audiences are indicative of the unity, equality and love that Sam Cooke exemplified.”

Marquis’ Sam Cooke show is more than a simple tribute. Throughout this rousing, high-energy performance, Marquis presents a narrative that spotlights Cooke’s life and accomplishments backed up by video and slide depictions of society in the Cooke era. Marquis explained that like most of his contemporaries in the soul, gospel and R&B genres, Sam Cooke began singing in church. Cooke, who’s name was originally spelled “Cook,” added the “e” to end of his name in 1957 to mark the start of his new life as a performer.