Who was Sam Moore? Musician known for the Sam & Dave soul duo dies at 89

Singer and Sam & Dave band member Sam Moore died on January 10, 2025, at 89. The news of his death was confirmed by his wife, Joyce Moore. According to his representative, he had surgery recently, and the cause of his death was the complications arising out of that surgery. He died at his Coral Gables home in Florida.

Moore is famous among his fans for some of his major hit songs like "Hold On," "I’m Comin’," "Soul Man," "I Thank You," and others. He and his bandmate Dave Prater were given nicknames like the Sultans of Sweat and Double Dynamite. In 2019, Sam and Dave received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.

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According to The New York Times, even a dynamic performer like Otis Redding reportedly avoided sharing the stage with them, concerned about being overshadowed. Sam Moore described his goal as to leave the audience completely energized and engaged by the end of a show.

Born in Miami on October 12, 1935, his mother, Louise Robinson, was a teacher, and his father, John Richard Hicks, was a street hustler. After his mother remarried, Sam took his stepfather Charlie Moore's last name.

Sam Moore started singing in a Baptist church in Miami, performed with a cappella group called the Majestics, and later joined a gospel group called the Millionaires before forming a partnership with Prater.

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Sam Moore’s wife reportedly helped him get sober

The duo’s band toured across the U.S., Europe, and Turkey, but their struggles with drug addiction began to take a heavy toll. Their final performance was held in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in 1981.

In 1998, Dave Prater lost his life in a car accident. Sam Moore’s life took a positive turn when he married Joyce McRae, who was from Chicago. She had first seen him perform in 1967 and later helped him get sober, managed his career, and guided him through a successful later stage of his life.

Bruce Springsteen once said Sam & Dave had a massive impact on his musical growth, calling Moore the greatest living soul singer. However, Sam Moore battled serious addiction issues with coc*ine and h*roin.

Despite their strained relationship, he admitted that financial struggles and pressure from record labels forced him to continue working with Prater during the 1970s. The two performed together but led completely separate lives during those years.

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In 1988, Moore recorded a parody of Soul Man titled Dole Man to support Bob Dole’s presidential campaign. Moore performed America the Beautiful in 2017 during Trump's inauguration concert. In 2012, he opposed Barack Obama’s use of “Hold On! I’m Comin’” during his campaign.

In response to criticism of his decision, Moore defended his choice, urging people to give Trump a chance before judging him. Sam Moore is survived by his wife, daughter and grandchildren.