Though, it is called The Two Killings of Sam Cooke. I guess you could argue for it—but I thought it was a bit much personally. Apart from the very beginning that made me feel a bit odd, the documentary is a great depiction of a legendary human being. Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur.Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the 'King of Soul' for his distinctive vocals, notable contributions to the genre and high significance in popular music.
Sam Cooke is often referred to as the father of soul music, as explained by Biography. He started by singing gospel music as a child — other singers, like Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle, got their first taste of musical performance the same way. He was born in Mississippi but grew up in Chicago, and in his teens formed a vocal quintet. Shortly after graduating from high school he joined The Soul Stirrers, a gospel music group, where he stayed for six years, sharpening his gifts. The year 1957 saw his first hit recording, 'You Send Me,' which knocked Elvis's 'Jailhouse Rock' out of the Number One spot on the charts. Besides singing and songwriting, Cooke had the foresight to control the rights to his music — uncommon in those days — and founding his own record label, signing such artists as Billy Preston. More hits followed, in a variety of styles, all showcasing his remarkably pure voice and unique stylistic touches.
Captain Cooke
Cooke gave us such standards as 'Another Saturday Night,' 'Wonderful World,' and 'Twistin' the Night Away.' And then in the space of a single evening, it all went south with a series of events that are questioned to this day. As told by Performing Songwriter, in the later hours of December 10, 1964, Cooke was out for a few drinks in Los Angeles when he met Elisa Boyer. They ended up at a motel; one theory suggests that she was a sex worker Cooke had hired. An altercation broke out between them, with Boyer claiming Cooke tried to rape her before she escaped. Cooke went to the motel's office, breaking down the closed door, where he had an argument with Bertha Franklin, the manager. The manager claimed self-defense when she shot and killed Cooke. A jury ruled justifiable homicide. For her part, Boyer would be convicted in 1979 of second degree murder in the death of a boyfriend.
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The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke Trailer
Legendary singer Sam Cooke is the focus of Netflix’s new film, Remastered: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke. The documentary takes an inside look into the Cooke’s relationship with the music industry and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death. His life and death have remained controversial, so viewers are wondering, how true is Remastered: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke?
The film documents Cooke’s life through archival video footage and personal accounts from people who were inside his orbit, so it is as true as any documentary can be. With interviews from Cooke’s family and friends — including legendary musicians Smokey Robinson and Quincy Jones — The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke focuses on the singer’s rise to stardom and how he used it to become a pioneer for the civil rights movement. Some of the most fascinating footage in the documentary features videos and photographs of Cooke’s famous 1964 meeting with civil rights icons Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali, and Jim Brown.
The documentary reveals that Cooke was shot and killed by a Los Angeles motel manager named Bertha Franklin — who claimed that the singer attacked her wearing just a sports jacket and shoes — while he inquired about a woman he brought to the motel. That woman, Elisa Boyer, claimed that Cooke forced her into the motel, but she managed to escape while accidentally carrying his clothes. Franklin said that Cooke came down to her office and began demanding she tell him where Boyer went, and then proceeded to attack her, so she shot him in self defense. While Boyer and Franklin’s testimony stood up in court at the time, many people believe that Cooke’s murder may have been motivated by politics and greed.
“It just didn’t seem like he was the person who gets shot down in the way that he did, and there had to be something more at play, and that sort of fueled the idea of this being some sort of conspiracy,” Boston Globe editor Renee Graham says in the documentary. “Elvis believed that there was a sense in the music industry that Sam was getting too powerful and had to be stopped, which echoed what a lot of people in the black community thought. You know, that this was about a black man who didn’t know his place, and to stop him, he had to be murdered.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke director, Kelly Duane de la Vega, said that Cooke’s death ultimately overshadowed his contributions to the civil rights movement, and did a disservice to his legacy. “Part of his legacy was hijacked by the way he died,” she told the outlet. “He was an incredible musical artist, but just as important was the way he contributed to the civil-rights movement and embodied the idea of an African-American artist having power in the record industry. It was a seedy end, and for some people, that’s where the conversation ended.”
No matter which version of his murder you believe, there’s no doubt that Cooke lived an incredible life, and his contributions to music and civil rights continue to inspire and impact the world.
Remastered: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke is currently streaming on Netflix.