Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke
by Peter Guralnick
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter GuralnickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-09-05
ISBN: 0316013293
Number of pages: 768
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Reviews of Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke
Book Review: So many questions remain....
Summary: 4 Stars
At our 1990 wedding reception, my wife and I had our first dance to "For Sentimental Reasons"....
Very good book, with good background to the black music business of the 1950's - 1960's and a good oblique look at the need for the civil rights movement (also have a good treatment of that in Caro's LBJ biographies, believe it or not).
But there are so many questions left concerning his murder. He had frequented the hacienda with the Upsetters in the past; should his murderer, Bertha Franklin, have known him? Researching through the internet, it appears she had shot other male customers previously, including only six months before. What exactly was her background? She probably did tolerate or profit from prostitution at that seedy hotel. One cannot take at face value the testimony of the whore Elisa Boyer (is she still alive and in prison for the murder of a boyfriend in the late 1970's??), Franklin, or the motel owner who was reportedly on the phone with Franklin at 2:30 am when this all went down. (How often did the motel owner phone the night manager in the middle of the night? Was that strange behavior for them or not?) Why didn't Bertha Franklin go for her gun when Sam Cooke was reportedly trying to bash his way in her door instead of waiting until afterwards, after he had searched the manager's apartment and was reportedly in a violent struggle with her? Did she really changer her story four times as reported in other sources? Was Sam getting ready to fire Allen Klein, his manager who gets a squeaky clean portrayal in Guralnick's book despite apparently a sharkline reputation and massive profiteering off Sam's death?
His murder would make for a fascinating book in and of itself. The one thing that is clear is that the official version isn't what happened.
Summary of Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke was the biggest star in gospel music before he crossed over into pop. His first single under his own name, "You Send Me," went to #1 on the charts and sold two million copies. At a time when record companies treated black artists like hired help, Sam Cooke demanded respect equal to that of top white artists. And he connected, in songs like "Wonderful World," "Chain Gang," and "Another Saturday Night"--seemingly effortless compositions that still sound fresh today. This resoundingly praised book captures a human essence so vital, so appealing, that it is impossible not to fall under its spell. At the same time, DREAM BOOGIE re-creates in rich detail the African American world from which Sam Cooke emerged, allowing us to feel both his trials and his triumphs.Rhythm & Blues Books
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