Justice Served: Sam Cooke Pt. 2 - Crime House 24/7

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[00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new Crime House original with Sabrina, Diana Roga and Alexis Linklater. Every week one host brings real, true crime stories from Reddit while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this. Except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe@c Crimesofreddit pod on YouTube.
[00:45]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
This is Crime House.
[00:50]
Vanessa Richardson
The rise is over. Now comes the fall, and the mystery Sam Cooke was at the peak of his power when his life ended in a seedy Los Angeles motel. The official verdict came fast. Too fast, and the questions that were never answered have haunted the music world ever since. Welcome to crime house 24. 7. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Twice a day, every day, we bring you the best, most timely and gripping cases from across the entire Crime House network, all in one place right here. And every Friday is Justice Served, where we follow a case all the way to the evidence, the arrests and the verdict that finally delivered justice. This week we're opening the file on the 1964 murder of Sam Cooke, and 60 years on this case still won't stay quiet. The circumstances of Sam Cooke's death, ruled a justifiable homicide within days, have drawn renewed scrutiny as cold case advocates and music historians push for a formal reinvestigation and questions about the original ruling refused to die. This community exists because of listeners like you want even more? Join Crime House plus for every episode of Crime House 24.7ad free. Not only that, but you'll get complete access to an exclusive limited series every month and early AD free access to all Crime House shows and bonus episodes go to crimehouseplus.com or on Apple Podcasts. Tap try free at the top of the crime house 24. Seven page now. Carter Roy picks up the case from the night everything unraveled and digs into why. All these decades later, we still don't know the real ending.
[02:45]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
Although it began in the 1950s, the civil rights movement really picked up steam in the early 60s with people like Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X at the helm. New York more young people got involved. There were organized actions like sit ins and boycotts, as well as mass protests and marches. It was everywhere, even in pop culture. And in May 1961, 30 year old music superstar Sam Cooke took a stand when he refused to perform for a segregated audience in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a huge risk. Sam was one of a select few black artists whose fans were both black and white. By standing against segregation, he risked losing the white part of his audience. But Sam Cook had never backed down from doing what he thought was right. It might have made him less popular in the south, but in other parts of the country he remained on top of the Just one month later, he was featured on PM East, PM West, a late night show about music on abc. They dedicated an entire segment to him called Sam Cooke Phenomenon. He performed around a dozen of his greatest hits with a few softball interview questions in between. Sam had been on many popular TV shows before, but a feature like this would was still a rare accomplishment for a black entertainer. Sam's personal life was another story. His wife, 26 year old Barbara Cook, had recently given birth to the couple's second daughter. Little Tracy was just six months old when they learned that Barbara was pregnant again. In December of 1961, she had a baby boy they named Vincent. From what everyone else could tell, Sam was over the moon. He loved his daughters, but Sam had wanted a son for a while. But according to Barbara, Sam had doubts about Vincent. He never directly accused her of cheating, but they both thought Vincent looked a little out of place among the family. He didn't look like either of his sisters with his lighter coloring and big ears. Sam's mother eventually declared that Vincent looked exactly like Sam had as a baby, which helped a little. But out of his three kids with Barbara, Sam was closest to Linda, probably because she was the oldest and could sing along with him. But when it came to his relationship with Barbara, she'd never felt so distant from him. He was constantly working either on his own stuff or for the artists on his record label sar. And when he was home, he didn't seem to show much interest in her. Sam was in his own world and Barbara didn't feel welcome there. And soon they drifted even further apart. In October of 1962, Sam was invited to tour England with none other than Little Richard. This was the first time Richard had agreed to play his rock and roll songs since his religious awakening five years earlier. It was an equally big step for Sam, who'd never been to Europe, but he couldn't have gotten a warmer welcome. The British fans loved Sam, who took the opportunity to experiment a bit with his performance style. The people in his inner circle had been encouraging him to tap into his gospel roots as a soul stirrer. Sam had a gift for capturing the spirit in every song. But Sam wasn't convinced that a white audience would respond to that sort of highly emotional singing. The Brits proved him wrong. So when Sam returned to the US at the end of the month, he worked with his arranger to reintroduce some gospel flavor into his actual. And it turned out American audiences loved it too. Sam had always been an undeniably talented singer, but now he had locked onto something that set him apart. Blending gospel with pop. This new flush of inspiration seemed to trickle into Sam's other businesses too, on top of their publishing and recording companies. He and his business partner, J.W. alexander, worked to establish a booking agency too. But there was an issue. Sam was basically funding SAR Records out of his own pocket. And despite all the touring and record sales, those pockets weren't as deep as everyone thought. Even with his own label, Sam was still under contract with the record company RCA Victoria. He was their artist and worked with them to manufacture and distribute the music from the artist signed to sar. It was a complicated arrangement, which made it difficult to keep track of who owed who and how much. What Sam did know was that money was tight, which seemed odd considering how many millions in sales he generated for rca. And that was just his own singles and albums. Sar's artists sold pretty well too. That money was also missing. Although he was one of their top artists, no one at the label would return Sam's calls to discuss the discrepancies. By March of 1963, Sam was deeply frustrated and ready to walk away entirely. He was complaining about his money troubles when a friend of his recommended an accountant named Alan Klein. Alan had performed an audit of Atlantic for pop star Bobby Darin, which turned up a huge amount in unpaid royalties. That was exactly what Sam needed. So Sam reached out to Allen and explained the situation. By May, Sam hired him to audit both RCA and the licensing company bmi. Within a week, Allen got BMI to agree to pay Sam $29,000. That's around $300,000 today. RCA would prove to be a harder nut to crack. Still, Sam was thoroughly impressed. All of this was happening while Sam was out on his biggest tour to date. For almost two months, Sam performed in 24 states, as well as Montreal and Toronto. Although there were other acts on the ticket, Sam was the headliner. Sam loved it, but it was still grueling. So when the tour ended in early June, he decided to spend the rest of the month in la. He hung out at home reading or playing with the kids. Otherwise, he was in his office with the door closed. Things between him and Barbara were more or less the same. He took her to social events and bought her presents, but they were more like required public appearances than dates. It was painfully obvious that he was keeping her at a distance. At night, once the kids were in bed, Sam would usually choose to go go out instead of spending time with Barbara. To be fair, he was very busy, even if he was supposed to be taking a break. And that didn't stop Sam from continuing to work. Sam also took the opportunity to get back into the recording studio and there was always lots to do at the SAR records office. One morning Sam left for the office. He forgot to close the COVID that he'd finally agreed to put on the pool. Barbara left shortly after him to run a few errands, which meant the maid was watching the kids. Just to be safe, she didn't let them play outside near the uncovered pool. By the time Barbara got home at around 4 o', clock, the kids were going stir crazy, so she said it would be okay if they went outside. She trusted Tracy, who was not quite three, to keep an eye on 18 month old Vincent. But a few minutes later, Tracy came to Barbara's bedroom to tell her that Vincent was in the pool. Barbara ran out of the house and dove into the water fully clothed. She tried to give him CPR. The maid must have called 911 because paramedics arrived shortly after. Someone also called Barbara's sister who was also living in LA at the the time. She was the one to call Sam at the office. She barely caught him in time. Sam was about to go out with JW when his assistant said his sister in law was calling. Something terrible had happened. He needed to go home now.
[12:33]
Vanessa Richardson
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[13:44]
Professor Lindsey Cormack
The Government gets a bad reputation, but did you know that the roads under your feet, the forecast on your phone, the letter in your mailbox. That's all government too. I'm Professor Lindsey Cormack and I'm hosting a new podcast called Government that Doesn't Suck alongside Professor Greg Jackson, who you may know from the hit podcast History that Doesn't Suck. Each episode we dig into the surprising story of an American institution, from the origins of the Internet to the National Park Service to the GI Bill and so much more. You'll hear the stories behind them, plus a conversation with an expert who knows it inside and out. This is the real history of how we built the country under your feet and you'll never look at any of it the same way again. Listen to and follow Government that Doesn't Suck. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
[14:38]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
In June of 1963, 32 year old Sam Cooke experienced every parent's worst nightmare. While he was working in the recording studio, his 18 month old son Vincent drowned in the family pool. Sam and his wife, 27 year old Barbara, were devastated and they blamed each other as much as they blamed themselves. Sam kept his feelings bottled up, but Barbara couldn't contain herself. She yelled and cried while Sam stayed silent even at the funeral. Three days after the accident, Sam remained closed off. Sam's family flew in from Chicago. He was surrounded by friends and loved ones, but they didn't think it was their place to try to get him to open up. When Jess Rand, Sam's manager at the time, suggested that Sam take some time off, Sam refused. He had to get back to work. The night after his son's funeral, Sam was back in the recording studio working with one of his artists on their next single. There was still a week before he left for another string of appearances on the East Coast. Sam spent as little of it at home as possible. Anytime he and Barbara tried to talk, she'd burst into tears. Sam didn't know how to handle it, but if he thought being out on the road again would help him feel better, he was wrong. Sam could always turn it on when he was on stage. But behind the scenes, he was different. He drank more and wasn't his usual fun loving self. While Sam was away, his accountant, Alan Klein continued his business with rca. Like Sam, he was struggling to get a hold of anyone at the label. But after reviewing the documents from Sam's two companies, SAR Records and Kags Music, Alan knew there was a lot of money left unpaid. Eventually, Alan did get in touch with someone at RCA. He and J.W. alexander, Sam's business partner, met with a vice president from the label. During the meeting, Allen didn't hold back. According to his calculations, RCA owed Keggs Music around $200,000 in royalties, the equivalent of $2 million today. Even then, the RCA reps wanted to figure out a deal that didn't involve a formal audit of their records. Allen kept pushing, even threatening to walk away from RCA entirely. He'd taken Sam to meet with reps from Columbia Records just to show he meant it. Eventually, RCA relented and sent Alan all the information he needed. It was a nice little victory, but all the back and forth had given Alan a lot of time to think. And he was cooking up something much bigger than simply recovering unpaid royalties. Allen wanted to create a new corporation that would be an intermediary between SAM and RCA. This new company would take over RCA's artist contract with Sam, essentially becoming his new label. It would then grant RCA exclusive distribution distribution rights to those records for 30 years in exchange for free use of their studios. The company would also get a higher royalty rate of 6%, which was virtually unheard of at the time. For Sam, this would mean total control over his records. He would decide everything from which songs to release and when, all the way down to to the color of the sleeve. Better than that, he'd own the master recordings. So after RCA's 30 years were up, Sam could re release and redistribute his songs however he saw fit. Or rather this company could. On paper, Allen would own the New Corporation and J.W. alexander would be its president. Sam's name wouldn't be anywhere on it other than as the artist and songwriter. Allen assured Sam this was simply for tax purposes. Everyone knew Sam was really the one in charge. As proof, they decided to name it Tracy Limited after Sam's daughter. That meant that any money RCA owed Sam would go to to Tracy limited instead. Nothing like this had ever been done before and the RCA vice president was intrigued by the idea. To sweeten the pot, Allen agreed to let go of the formal audit. He would Let RCA do an internal audit and come up with a final number in good faith. Toward the end of September 1960, Allen met Sam in New Orleans with a check for $110,000 for the back royalties. But the real victory was the advance that RCA had agreed to pay as part of the new deal with Tracy Limited. It was $450,000 to be made in payments over four years. Today that would be a $4.7 million dollar deal. On the heels of such a major accomplishment, Sam officially asked Alan to be his manager. Once again, Sam was flying high. But that feeling wouldn't last long. A few days after the show in New Orleans, Sam and his crew traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana for another show. Sam called ahead to book a room at the Holiday Inn just outside of the town. They drove all night and arrived at 7:30am Shreveport wasn't nearly as cosmopolitan as New Orleans. So when the clerk saw the reservation belonged to a group of black people, he said they had no vacancies. Everyone was upset, but Sam was livid. He yelled for the manager, declaring that he had just as much right to be there as anyone else. When the others finally got Sam to leave, they all sped off, blaring their car horns and yelling insults at the Holiday Inn staff. They had no other choice but to go to the nearest colored guest house. The police were waiting for them when they arrived. Apparently, the clerk had called to complain about a group of rowdy black people. Everyone was arrested, including Sam, but not for trying to stay at the hotel. Instead, they were charged with creating a public disturbance. Sam and the rest posted bond and were released after a few hours. It was a humiliating experience, but more than that, it was a painful reminder that even wealth and power couldn't protect him from racism. The sting was still fresh when Sam started a run of performances two months later at the Apollo Theater in New York City. While he was there, he ran into a young boxer, 21 year old Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali. They'd crossed paths before and Sam liked the kid a lot. Cassius was in the city check to promote a comedy album he'd recorded with Columbia Records. On the personal side, he was also there to spend time with his friend and personal mentor, Malcolm X. Sam had met Malcolm years earlier. Sam wasn't interested in converting to Islam, so he'd never listened too closely to what Malcolm had to say. But spending time with him and Cassius during this trip, Sam came to realize that his political philosophy aligned with Malcolm's a lot more than he thought. Sam also believed in the Importance of black pride. That was why he'd worn his hair natural for the majority of his career and why he'd built an impressive library of books on black history at his home back in Los Angeles. Sam was also a living example of Malcolm's message of self determination. Starting with his publishing company, Sam had taken every opportunity to stay in control of his art and his money. Not only had it made him extremely successful, but it also allowed him to help others follow in his footsteps. With this new understanding, Sam and Malcolm also became friends and spent more time together over the next few months. After all the conversations Sam had been having with Malcolm, it was getting more difficult for him to keep his politics out of his music. One of his favorite songs around this time was Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan. He was touched by its message and more than a little jealous that he'd never written anything anything like it. So he decided to make his own version. In December of 1963, after a small holiday gathering at his home, Sam played his latest song for JW Alexander. It was called A Change Is Gonna Come. And it was the most vulnerable thing he'd ever written. Sam poured every ounce of his own frustration, frustration and hurt into the lyrics. But ultimately the song was about holding on to faith in the face of seemingly endless struggle. JW was deeply moved by the song and Sam's excitement about it. They both knew it probably wouldn't sell the way his other records did. But that didn't matter to either of them. The song made it onto his album Ain't that Good News, released in March of 1964. And while the civil rights movement latched onto it right away, it didn't gain much popularity with the rest of Sam's audience. Still, Sam was proud that it was out in the world. It represented a major personal milestone. And there was one more that he was eager to check off. A second chance at New York's biggest club, the Copacabana. It had been six years since Sam's first epic failure on the Copa stage and it still haunted him. The manager of the club felt the same way and initially turned down Alan Klein's request for a booking. But Alan kept pushing and even got some RCA bigwigs involved on Sam's behalf. They promised to promote the heck out of the show, including securing a massive billboard in Times Square. Eventually, the manager relented and gave Sam a two week run. In June, Alan booked Sam at two dinner clubs in the Catskills just before he opened at the Copa. The idea was that they'd be Dress rehearsals for the real thing. It was a good thing Alan booked the gigs because the performer performances were a mess. Instead of working with his usual arranger, Sam had hired the one Sammy Davis Jr. Used. And he decided not to include many of his biggest hits in favor of songs that a white audience would like. The new arrangements were too instrument forward and left no room for Sam to do his thing. Not that he was trying to do much of that. He was too scared of failing again. Luckily, Sam had a team of people who knew how to help. They reworked the set list and brought back Sam's arranger. By the time opening night at the Copa came, they had a white friendly version of a Sam Cooke show. Sure enough, Sam crushed was exactly the validation he'd always hoped for. After the Copa, Sam toured for a few more months. But he'd grown tired of life on the road. More and more black artists were getting caught up in all sorts of scandals. And not just in the South. Sam felt like it was only a matter of time before something happened to him too. So he decided it was time to get back to Los Angeles and take a well earned break. He only had two more gigs lined up for the rest of 1964. The first was a five night run at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta, Georgia over Thanksgiving featuring two of his top performing groups from SAR Records. On the last night of the Atlanta gig, Sam handed out bonuses to his musicians. He told them all to get nice gifts for their families and and said he'd see them in Miami in three weeks. None of them knew that Sam had just given his final performance. Tyler redick here from 2311 Racing. And Bubba Wallace. You know what's the worst part of a race? A rain delay. Sitting around waiting for the track to dry is dull. But instead of waiting, we hang out with Chumba Casino. Social casino, slots, bingo, solitaire. Plenty of fun to keep us entertained. So why let a rain delay slow you down? Play now@chumbacasino.com let's Chumba. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary VGW prey prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply. The night of December 10, 1964 started out like any other. 33 year old. Sam Cooke had just returned to LA after his show in Atlanta. He had plans to meet his friend and longtime sound engineer Al Schmidt at a popular nightlife spot in Hollywood called Martone's. Al brought Joan, his wife at the time, and the three got a table in the bustling club. Sam ordered several martinis and kept drinking while Al and Joan ate Their food. He wasn't a sloppy drunk by any means, but after all those drinks, Sam was less careful than usual. The three friends chatted and laughed as they drank. At one point, Sam took a wad of cash out of his pocket and flashed it all around. Joan tried to get him to put it away and stopped showing off. He was going to attract the wrong sort of attention, but Sam just laughed her off. He wasn't worried about all that. Talk eventually turned to business as it usually did when Al and Sam got together. They discussed Sam's plans for the next album. Sam was feeling particularly inspired by the blues lately and thought maybe he'd try making a blues record next. The night wore on and Sam showed no signs of slowing down. But the Schmidts had other plans. When they left, Sam was chatting up a young woman at the bar before heading out. Al said he was excited to get back into the studio with Sam, but he would never get the chance. The next day, Al Schmidt was watching the news when a breaking story stopped him in his tracks. Sam Cooke was dead. Al and Joan couldn't believe what they were seeing. But the LAPD's 77th Precinct wasn't too surprised. According to them, this was nothing more than another shooting in a black neighborhood. Their official story went like this. Sam picked up a young woman, 22 year old Elisa Boyer, at Martoni's bar around midnight. They left at approximately 1:30 in the morning, heading to another nightclub for more drinks. It was around 2:30am when they arrived at the Hacienda Motel about 15 miles south of Martone's, in a neighborhood known as Watts. Sam went to the front desk to get a room where he first met bertha Franklin, the 55 year old manager of the motel. According to Elisa, Sam then dragged her into her room, removed her clothes and threw her on the bed. She was sure he was going to assault her, so while he was in the bathroom, she snatched up the pile of clothing and made her escape. She first ran to the manager's apartment and knocked on the door, but she only waited for a moment before taking off again. Elisa ran from the motel and ended up in a phone booth about a block away where where she called the police at 3.08am Meanwhile, Sam came out of the bathroom and saw she was gone. When he went to get dressed, he would have realized that Alisa had taken the majority of his clothes, which were in a pile with her own. Now angry and in a hurry, he threw on what he could find and went after her in just his jacket and shoes. According To Bertha, Sam pounded on her door in a blind rage, Accusing her of hiding the girl. She tried to tell him that Elisa wasn't there, but allegedly, Sam pushed past her to search the apartment. When he didn't find Elisa, Sam allegedly attacked Bertha, who claimed that she fought back by kicking, scratching, and even biting. At her first opportunity, Bertha reached for a pistol she kept for safety and and fired three shots at close range. Sam stumbled back in shock. According to bertha, his last words were, lady, you shot me. That story didn't make sense to anyone who'd ever known Sam Cooke. He was never the type to get physically violent with anyone, let alone a woman. Sam's friends, family, and fans were sure there was much more to the story than the police were telling them. It was also pretty clear that the LAPD wasn't particularly motivated to investigate the case. Native angelenos knew that the 77th Precinct had a relationship with a black community that could be described as negligent at best and combative at worst. So it wasn't surprising that the investigation was incredibly short and rested entirely on the testimony of the two women. The closest the case ever came to a trial was a coroner's inquest held five days later, which declared Sam's death a justifiable homicide. Alisa and Bertha were both interviewed at the inquest. And while authorities seemed satisfied with their answers, the public was left with more questions. Sure enough, the closer they looked, the more holes they noticed. For one thing, Alisa said that she repeatedly asked Sam to take her home, including while they were in the office getting a room. But according to Bertha, Elisa didn't say anything the entire time they'd interacted. She certainly never heard the young woman ask to go home. Even more suspicious, Bertha described a harrowing physical fight. But she didn't have any visible marks on her at the inquest beyond that, another guest at the motel that night Reported seeing Sam and Elisa from the window of his room, and he disputed the claim that Sam dragged Alisa into their room. All this put even more doubt in the minds of Sam's supporters. Someone was hiding something, and it wasn't long until the public learned exactly what that was. A month after Sam's death, Elisa Boyer was arrested for sex work. Reports also came out that Bertha Franklin had a criminal record and was a former madam. These revelations led to the first theory of what really happened that night. Sam had fallen into a trap. According to this theory, Elisa and her pimp likely saw the cash Sam had been flaunting earlier that night. So Elisa was sent to lure him to the Hacienda Motel, which they allegedly used as a sort of brothel. At the first opportunity, Elisa took Sam's pants, knowing that the money was in them. Seeing that he'd been robbed, Sam went after her, which was the real reason he was so furious when he confronted Bertha, who he might have assumed was involved somehow. Despite these revelations, the LAPD didn't pursue the case any further. But Sam's loved ones weren't giving up so easily. The general consensus was that authorities wanted to sweep the entire thing under the rug. But why? Alan Klein and J.W. alexander hired a private investigator to look into it. And before long, they realized that as beloved as Sam had been, he'd made his fair share of enemies, too. Some of them were in pretty high places, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Any evidence that the FBI might have been involved in Sam's death is purely speculative. That said, the circumstances are pretty suspicious. Sam was publicly associated with Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, both of whom were on FBI watch lists during the 1960s. Those friendships alone would have been enough to put Sam on the FBI's radar. And as Sam became more vocal in his support of the civil rights movement, he would have been seen as even more of a threat. He died just as he was poised to re release his most political song yet. An anthem that could and did go on to inspire his legions of fans, both black and white, in the fight against racial injustice. It was possible the FBI was working to protect other interests, too. Not only was Sam Cooke an influential artist, but his record company was disrupting the music industry as a whole. He was creating a path for other black artists to reach his same level of fame and fortune. And it threatened the old company's bottom lines. Whatever actually happened that night, Sam Cooke's death was a tragedy for his loved ones and his many fans. The family held two funerals, One in Chicago and another in Los Angeles. Between the two services, more than 200,000 people came to pay their respects and celebrate Sam's life. The case was officially closed after the coroner's inquest. But the pain of losing Sam so suddenly continued to haunt his friends and family. However, one person was ready to move on. Less than a month after his death, his wife, 29 year old Barbara, started seeing 20 year old Bobby Womack, who'd been Sam's protege for years. Her marriage to Sam had been in shambles for years, so from her perspective, it probably didn't seem that fast. But from what others could tell, it seemed disrespectful of Sam not to mention a little suspicious. And then things got worse. When Allen and Barbara pulled the plug on the private investigation. Allen was worried about exposing too much like the state of Sam's marriage. As for Barbara, she wanted to spare her children any more pain. Besides, nothing they uncovered would bring Sam back. For all the conspiracy theories out there, this added more fuel to the fire. They wondered if Barbara and Alan had something to do with Sam's death. Again, there is no evidence to suggest this was the case. But even Sam's family was suspicious. Especially because Sam died without creating a will, which meant that by default, most of Sam's assets went to Barbara. For her part, Barbara felt like everyone was against her. Well, that included Sam's business partners. So against their advice, she drained all the money out of SAM's Tracy Limited account and converted everything to cash. She even tried to sue J.W. alexander to dissolve the publishing company. Bills from the legal battle and taxes from cashing out such large sums threatened to eat up all the money Barbara managed to access. So she gave up the fight in 1966 and so sold her half of Keg's music to Sam's old producers. The price she got was laughably small. $75,000, which would be just shy of $800,000 today. Eventually, the producers sold their half of Kegs to Alan klein. Then in 1968, Alan bought out JW. For many people, this felt like a slap in the face. Sam had worked so hard to get out from under the thumb of wealthy white men, and in the end, everything he built went to one anyway. But his businesses weren't the only legacy Sam left behind. During his lifetime and beyond, he inspired artists who went on to be trailblazers in the their own right. Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick both toured with Sam early in their careers and took his lessons to heart. And many modern singers credit Sam as a major artistic influence. Even then, it's difficult to know that Sam never got to see his plans through. There was still so much he wanted to achieve. But like any story that's left unfinished, we'll have to be satisfied with what we do have. And when it comes to an artist like Sam Cooke, that's more than enough.
[42:50]
Vanessa Richardson
Thanks for listening to this episode of Crime House 24. 7. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Cults, Cons and Personality, where I get into two of the most brazen cults and con artists who ever lived. And to enhance your listening experience, join Crime House plus and get every episode of Crime House 24. 7 completely ad free. Along with early ad. Free access to all Crime House shows, plus monthly bonus episodes. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of the crime house 24. 7 page. Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new Crime House original with Sabrina, Deanna Roga, and Alexis Linkletter. Every week, one host brings real, true crime stories from Reddit, while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this, except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe@c CrimesofRedditpod on YouTube.

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary
Crime House 24/7
Episode: Justice Served: Sam Cooke Pt. 2
Date: August 14, 2026
Host: Vanessa Richardson

Main Theme

In this episode of Crime House 24/7, host Vanessa Richardson investigates the unresolved questions surrounding the tragic and controversial death of music superstar Sam Cooke. Part 2 of “Justice Served: Sam Cooke” revisits Cooke’s immense success, activism, personal struggles, business ambitions, and the events leading up to his shocking murder in 1964. The episode scrutinizes the official story, explores conspiracy theories, and highlights why, six decades later, the case is still shrouded in suspicion and heartbreak for Cooke’s fans and family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Sam Cooke’s Influence and Activism
- By the early 1960s, Sam Cooke was not just an iconic musician but also a visible figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
- [02:45] Refused to perform for segregated audiences, notably in Memphis (1961), risking his popularity among white fans.
- Despite professional successes, Cooke’s personal life suffered, marked by a fractured relationship with his wife, Barbara.
Personal Tragedy
- [14:37] In June 1963, tragedy struck when Cooke’s 18-month-old son, Vincent, drowned in the family’s pool, compounding personal grief and marital strife.
- Cooke threw himself back into work almost immediately, unable to openly mourn or reconcile with Barbara.
Business Acumen and Industry Struggles
- [02:45–14:37] Cooke was a pioneer in seeking financial control through his own label and publishing companies (SAR Records, Kags Music).
- Faced financial obfuscation and withheld royalties from RCA; hired accountant Allen Klein, who secured a trailblazing deal for Cooke to own his music (Tracy Limited).
- [14:37] The deal was considered revolutionary for Black artists at the time but also painted a target on Cooke within a racially charged industry.
Racism and Public Encounters
- [14:37] Cooke’s fame did not shield him from racism—e.g., his public humiliation in Shreveport, LA, where he and his entourage were refused hotel rooms and later arrested.
Bridging Music and Civil Rights
- Influenced by his growing friendship with both Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, Cooke infused his evolving political stance into his music.
- [14:37] Wrote and released “A Change Is Gonna Come,” widely regarded as an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.
- [30:00] Despite initial lukewarm sales, the song became one of Cooke’s most iconic legacies.
Final Days and Suspicious Death
- [34:00–38:00] December 10, 1964: After an evening out in Hollywood, Cooke was shot and killed by Bertha Franklin, manager of the Hacienda Motel, under highly disputed circumstances.
- The official LAPD account, largely based on testimonies from Franklin and another woman, Elisa Boyer, painted Cooke as the aggressor in an attempted assault.
- [38:00] Immediate skepticism arose due to Cooke’s character, the lack of physical evidence supporting the women's stories, and questionable police investigation.
Investigation, Theories, and Fallout
- Connection to FBI: Cooke’s political associations and business independence may have placed him on federal watchlists.
- [40:00] Alternate theories posit Cooke was set up and robbed, with Boyer and Franklin part of a scheme targeting wealthy Black men.
- Private investigations were quickly shut down by Cooke’s manager Allen Klein and widow Barbara, fueling suspicions even further.
Aftermath and Legacy
- [41:00] Cooke’s estate became mired in legal and personal disputes, particularly with Barbara’s quick legal and romantic entanglements post-mortem and the liquidation of Cooke’s assets.
- Despite the loss, Cooke’s influence as a trailblazer for Black artists remained profound.
- [41:55] “During his lifetime and beyond, he inspired artists who went on to be trailblazers in their own right. Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick both toured with Sam early in their careers and took his lessons to heart.”
- Cooke’s business ambitions, while ultimately redirected into the hands of white industry executives, laid groundwork for future generations of artists.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the nature of Cooke’s advocacy:
[02:45] “Sam Cooke had never backed down from doing what he thought was right. It might have made him less popular in the South, but in other parts of the country he remained on top.”
On his heartbreak after his son’s death:
[14:37] "Sam kept his feelings bottled up, but Barbara couldn't contain herself... Sam stayed silent even at the funeral.”
On the dubious investigation into Cooke’s death:
[38:10] “It was also pretty clear that the LAPD wasn't particularly motivated to investigate the case. Native Angelenos knew that the 77th precinct had a relationship with the Black community that could be described as negligent at best and combative at worst.”
On enduring questions:
[40:35] “For all the conspiracy theories out there, this added more fuel to the fire. They wondered if Barbara and Alan had something to do with Sam's death. Again, there is no evidence to suggest this was the case. But even Sam’s family was suspicious.”
On Cooke’s enduring impact:
[41:50] “But his businesses weren’t the only legacy Sam left behind. During his lifetime and beyond, he inspired artists who went on to be trailblazers in their own right.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:49–02:45: Introduction to the case and Civil Rights backdrop
02:45–10:00: Sam Cooke’s activism, career highlights, and personal life details
10:00–14:37: Business struggles and breakthrough with Allen Klein
14:37–21:30: Death of Cooke’s son, mourning, and marital breakdown
21:30–29:00: Music, business setup (Tracy Ltd.), further civil rights engagement
29:00–34:00: Return to the stage, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and peak stardom
34:00–38:00: The day of Cooke’s death, details of the incident at the Hacienda Motel
38:00–41:30: Public skepticism, flaws in official investigation, conspiracy theories
41:30–42:49: Aftermath, legacy, and unresolved tensions

Summary Flow

This episode skillfully interweaves Sam Cooke’s artistic legacy with his role at the crossroads of race, business, and activism. Listeners are walked through intimate personal losses, pioneering business moves, and the increasingly politicized world that Cooke inhabited. The retelling of his final night and the “official” LAPD account is immediately challenged—exposing inconsistencies and raising suspicion about potential cover-ups and the broader treatment of Black celebrities in the 1960s. The episode concludes by tracing Cooke’s posthumous impact, the debts and disputes that followed, and the unanswered questions that keep his story relevant and poignant more than 60 years later.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

You’ll gain insight into both the public legacy and private struggles of one of America’s most influential artists.
The episode offers a nuanced exploration of race, celebrity, and justice in mid-20th-century America, while tying in the echoes of these issues today.
You’ll walk away understanding not only what made Sam Cooke a legend—but why his death remains a subject of debate and fresh investigation after all this time.

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Transcript8 lines

[00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new Crime House original with Sabrina, Diana Roga and Alexis Linklater. Every week one host brings real, true crime stories from Reddit while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this. Except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe@c Crimesofreddit pod on YouTube.
[00:45]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
This is Crime House.
[00:50]
Vanessa Richardson
The rise is over. Now comes the fall, and the mystery Sam Cooke was at the peak of his power when his life ended in a seedy Los Angeles motel. The official verdict came fast. Too fast, and the questions that were never answered have haunted the music world ever since. Welcome to crime house 24. 7. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Twice a day, every day, we bring you the best, most timely and gripping cases from across the entire Crime House network, all in one place right here. And every Friday is Justice Served, where we follow a case all the way to the evidence, the arrests and the verdict that finally delivered justice. This week we're opening the file on the 1964 murder of Sam Cooke, and 60 years on this case still won't stay quiet. The circumstances of Sam Cooke's death, ruled a justifiable homicide within days, have drawn renewed scrutiny as cold case advocates and music historians push for a formal reinvestigation and questions about the original ruling refused to die. This community exists because of listeners like you want even more? Join Crime House plus for every episode of Crime House 24.7ad free. Not only that, but you'll get complete access to an exclusive limited series every month and early AD free access to all Crime House shows and bonus episodes go to crimehouseplus.com or on Apple Podcasts. Tap try free at the top of the crime house 24. Seven page now. Carter Roy picks up the case from the night everything unraveled and digs into why. All these decades later, we still don't know the real ending.
[02:45]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
Although it began in the 1950s, the civil rights movement really picked up steam in the early 60s with people like Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X at the helm. New York more young people got involved. There were organized actions like sit ins and boycotts, as well as mass protests and marches. It was everywhere, even in pop culture. And in May 1961, 30 year old music superstar Sam Cooke took a stand when he refused to perform for a segregated audience in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a huge risk. Sam was one of a select few black artists whose fans were both black and white. By standing against segregation, he risked losing the white part of his audience. But Sam Cook had never backed down from doing what he thought was right. It might have made him less popular in the south, but in other parts of the country he remained on top of the Just one month later, he was featured on PM East, PM West, a late night show about music on abc. They dedicated an entire segment to him called Sam Cooke Phenomenon. He performed around a dozen of his greatest hits with a few softball interview questions in between. Sam had been on many popular TV shows before, but a feature like this would was still a rare accomplishment for a black entertainer. Sam's personal life was another story. His wife, 26 year old Barbara Cook, had recently given birth to the couple's second daughter. Little Tracy was just six months old when they learned that Barbara was pregnant again. In December of 1961, she had a baby boy they named Vincent. From what everyone else could tell, Sam was over the moon. He loved his daughters, but Sam had wanted a son for a while. But according to Barbara, Sam had doubts about Vincent. He never directly accused her of cheating, but they both thought Vincent looked a little out of place among the family. He didn't look like either of his sisters with his lighter coloring and big ears. Sam's mother eventually declared that Vincent looked exactly like Sam had as a baby, which helped a little. But out of his three kids with Barbara, Sam was closest to Linda, probably because she was the oldest and could sing along with him. But when it came to his relationship with Barbara, she'd never felt so distant from him. He was constantly working either on his own stuff or for the artists on his record label sar. And when he was home, he didn't seem to show much interest in her. Sam was in his own world and Barbara didn't feel welcome there. And soon they drifted even further apart. In October of 1962, Sam was invited to tour England with none other than Little Richard. This was the first time Richard had agreed to play his rock and roll songs since his religious awakening five years earlier. It was an equally big step for Sam, who'd never been to Europe, but he couldn't have gotten a warmer welcome. The British fans loved Sam, who took the opportunity to experiment a bit with his performance style. The people in his inner circle had been encouraging him to tap into his gospel roots as a soul stirrer. Sam had a gift for capturing the spirit in every song. But Sam wasn't convinced that a white audience would respond to that sort of highly emotional singing. The Brits proved him wrong. So when Sam returned to the US at the end of the month, he worked with his arranger to reintroduce some gospel flavor into his actual. And it turned out American audiences loved it too. Sam had always been an undeniably talented singer, but now he had locked onto something that set him apart. Blending gospel with pop. This new flush of inspiration seemed to trickle into Sam's other businesses too, on top of their publishing and recording companies. He and his business partner, J.W. alexander, worked to establish a booking agency too. But there was an issue. Sam was basically funding SAR Records out of his own pocket. And despite all the touring and record sales, those pockets weren't as deep as everyone thought. Even with his own label, Sam was still under contract with the record company RCA Victoria. He was their artist and worked with them to manufacture and distribute the music from the artist signed to sar. It was a complicated arrangement, which made it difficult to keep track of who owed who and how much. What Sam did know was that money was tight, which seemed odd considering how many millions in sales he generated for rca. And that was just his own singles and albums. Sar's artists sold pretty well too. That money was also missing. Although he was one of their top artists, no one at the label would return Sam's calls to discuss the discrepancies. By March of 1963, Sam was deeply frustrated and ready to walk away entirely. He was complaining about his money troubles when a friend of his recommended an accountant named Alan Klein. Alan had performed an audit of Atlantic for pop star Bobby Darin, which turned up a huge amount in unpaid royalties. That was exactly what Sam needed. So Sam reached out to Allen and explained the situation. By May, Sam hired him to audit both RCA and the licensing company bmi. Within a week, Allen got BMI to agree to pay Sam $29,000. That's around $300,000 today. RCA would prove to be a harder nut to crack. Still, Sam was thoroughly impressed. All of this was happening while Sam was out on his biggest tour to date. For almost two months, Sam performed in 24 states, as well as Montreal and Toronto. Although there were other acts on the ticket, Sam was the headliner. Sam loved it, but it was still grueling. So when the tour ended in early June, he decided to spend the rest of the month in la. He hung out at home reading or playing with the kids. Otherwise, he was in his office with the door closed. Things between him and Barbara were more or less the same. He took her to social events and bought her presents, but they were more like required public appearances than dates. It was painfully obvious that he was keeping her at a distance. At night, once the kids were in bed, Sam would usually choose to go go out instead of spending time with Barbara. To be fair, he was very busy, even if he was supposed to be taking a break. And that didn't stop Sam from continuing to work. Sam also took the opportunity to get back into the recording studio and there was always lots to do at the SAR records office. One morning Sam left for the office. He forgot to close the COVID that he'd finally agreed to put on the pool. Barbara left shortly after him to run a few errands, which meant the maid was watching the kids. Just to be safe, she didn't let them play outside near the uncovered pool. By the time Barbara got home at around 4 o', clock, the kids were going stir crazy, so she said it would be okay if they went outside. She trusted Tracy, who was not quite three, to keep an eye on 18 month old Vincent. But a few minutes later, Tracy came to Barbara's bedroom to tell her that Vincent was in the pool. Barbara ran out of the house and dove into the water fully clothed. She tried to give him CPR. The maid must have called 911 because paramedics arrived shortly after. Someone also called Barbara's sister who was also living in LA at the the time. She was the one to call Sam at the office. She barely caught him in time. Sam was about to go out with JW when his assistant said his sister in law was calling. Something terrible had happened. He needed to go home now.
[12:33]
Vanessa Richardson
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[13:44]
Professor Lindsey Cormack
The Government gets a bad reputation, but did you know that the roads under your feet, the forecast on your phone, the letter in your mailbox. That's all government too. I'm Professor Lindsey Cormack and I'm hosting a new podcast called Government that Doesn't Suck alongside Professor Greg Jackson, who you may know from the hit podcast History that Doesn't Suck. Each episode we dig into the surprising story of an American institution, from the origins of the Internet to the National Park Service to the GI Bill and so much more. You'll hear the stories behind them, plus a conversation with an expert who knows it inside and out. This is the real history of how we built the country under your feet and you'll never look at any of it the same way again. Listen to and follow Government that Doesn't Suck. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
[14:38]
Narrator (Crime House Host)
In June of 1963, 32 year old Sam Cooke experienced every parent's worst nightmare. While he was working in the recording studio, his 18 month old son Vincent drowned in the family pool. Sam and his wife, 27 year old Barbara, were devastated and they blamed each other as much as they blamed themselves. Sam kept his feelings bottled up, but Barbara couldn't contain herself. She yelled and cried while Sam stayed silent even at the funeral. Three days after the accident, Sam remained closed off. Sam's family flew in from Chicago. He was surrounded by friends and loved ones, but they didn't think it was their place to try to get him to open up. When Jess Rand, Sam's manager at the time, suggested that Sam take some time off, Sam refused. He had to get back to work. The night after his son's funeral, Sam was back in the recording studio working with one of his artists on their next single. There was still a week before he left for another string of appearances on the East Coast. Sam spent as little of it at home as possible. Anytime he and Barbara tried to talk, she'd burst into tears. Sam didn't know how to handle it, but if he thought being out on the road again would help him feel better, he was wrong. Sam could always turn it on when he was on stage. But behind the scenes, he was different. He drank more and wasn't his usual fun loving self. While Sam was away, his accountant, Alan Klein continued his business with rca. Like Sam, he was struggling to get a hold of anyone at the label. But after reviewing the documents from Sam's two companies, SAR Records and Kags Music, Alan knew there was a lot of money left unpaid. Eventually, Alan did get in touch with someone at RCA. He and J.W. alexander, Sam's business partner, met with a vice president from the label. During the meeting, Allen didn't hold back. According to his calculations, RCA owed Keggs Music around $200,000 in royalties, the equivalent of $2 million today. Even then, the RCA reps wanted to figure out a deal that didn't involve a formal audit of their records. Allen kept pushing, even threatening to walk away from RCA entirely. He'd taken Sam to meet with reps from Columbia Records just to show he meant it. Eventually, RCA relented and sent Alan all the information he needed. It was a nice little victory, but all the back and forth had given Alan a lot of time to think. And he was cooking up something much bigger than simply recovering unpaid royalties. Allen wanted to create a new corporation that would be an intermediary between SAM and RCA. This new company would take over RCA's artist contract with Sam, essentially becoming his new label. It would then grant RCA exclusive distribution distribution rights to those records for 30 years in exchange for free use of their studios. The company would also get a higher royalty rate of 6%, which was virtually unheard of at the time. For Sam, this would mean total control over his records. He would decide everything from which songs to release and when, all the way down to to the color of the sleeve. Better than that, he'd own the master recordings. So after RCA's 30 years were up, Sam could re release and redistribute his songs however he saw fit. Or rather this company could. On paper, Allen would own the New Corporation and J.W. alexander would be its president. Sam's name wouldn't be anywhere on it other than as the artist and songwriter. Allen assured Sam this was simply for tax purposes. Everyone knew Sam was really the one in charge. As proof, they decided to name it Tracy Limited after Sam's daughter. That meant that any money RCA owed Sam would go to to Tracy limited instead. Nothing like this had ever been done before and the RCA vice president was intrigued by the idea. To sweeten the pot, Allen agreed to let go of the formal audit. He would Let RCA do an internal audit and come up with a final number in good faith. Toward the end of September 1960, Allen met Sam in New Orleans with a check for $110,000 for the back royalties. But the real victory was the advance that RCA had agreed to pay as part of the new deal with Tracy Limited. It was $450,000 to be made in payments over four years. Today that would be a $4.7 million dollar deal. On the heels of such a major accomplishment, Sam officially asked Alan to be his manager. Once again, Sam was flying high. But that feeling wouldn't last long. A few days after the show in New Orleans, Sam and his crew traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana for another show. Sam called ahead to book a room at the Holiday Inn just outside of the town. They drove all night and arrived at 7:30am Shreveport wasn't nearly as cosmopolitan as New Orleans. So when the clerk saw the reservation belonged to a group of black people, he said they had no vacancies. Everyone was upset, but Sam was livid. He yelled for the manager, declaring that he had just as much right to be there as anyone else. When the others finally got Sam to leave, they all sped off, blaring their car horns and yelling insults at the Holiday Inn staff. They had no other choice but to go to the nearest colored guest house. The police were waiting for them when they arrived. Apparently, the clerk had called to complain about a group of rowdy black people. Everyone was arrested, including Sam, but not for trying to stay at the hotel. Instead, they were charged with creating a public disturbance. Sam and the rest posted bond and were released after a few hours. It was a humiliating experience, but more than that, it was a painful reminder that even wealth and power couldn't protect him from racism. The sting was still fresh when Sam started a run of performances two months later at the Apollo Theater in New York City. While he was there, he ran into a young boxer, 21 year old Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali. They'd crossed paths before and Sam liked the kid a lot. Cassius was in the city check to promote a comedy album he'd recorded with Columbia Records. On the personal side, he was also there to spend time with his friend and personal mentor, Malcolm X. Sam had met Malcolm years earlier. Sam wasn't interested in converting to Islam, so he'd never listened too closely to what Malcolm had to say. But spending time with him and Cassius during this trip, Sam came to realize that his political philosophy aligned with Malcolm's a lot more than he thought. Sam also believed in the Importance of black pride. That was why he'd worn his hair natural for the majority of his career and why he'd built an impressive library of books on black history at his home back in Los Angeles. Sam was also a living example of Malcolm's message of self determination. Starting with his publishing company, Sam had taken every opportunity to stay in control of his art and his money. Not only had it made him extremely successful, but it also allowed him to help others follow in his footsteps. With this new understanding, Sam and Malcolm also became friends and spent more time together over the next few months. After all the conversations Sam had been having with Malcolm, it was getting more difficult for him to keep his politics out of his music. One of his favorite songs around this time was Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan. He was touched by its message and more than a little jealous that he'd never written anything anything like it. So he decided to make his own version. In December of 1963, after a small holiday gathering at his home, Sam played his latest song for JW Alexander. It was called A Change Is Gonna Come. And it was the most vulnerable thing he'd ever written. Sam poured every ounce of his own frustration, frustration and hurt into the lyrics. But ultimately the song was about holding on to faith in the face of seemingly endless struggle. JW was deeply moved by the song and Sam's excitement about it. They both knew it probably wouldn't sell the way his other records did. But that didn't matter to either of them. The song made it onto his album Ain't that Good News, released in March of 1964. And while the civil rights movement latched onto it right away, it didn't gain much popularity with the rest of Sam's audience. Still, Sam was proud that it was out in the world. It represented a major personal milestone. And there was one more that he was eager to check off. A second chance at New York's biggest club, the Copacabana. It had been six years since Sam's first epic failure on the Copa stage and it still haunted him. The manager of the club felt the same way and initially turned down Alan Klein's request for a booking. But Alan kept pushing and even got some RCA bigwigs involved on Sam's behalf. They promised to promote the heck out of the show, including securing a massive billboard in Times Square. Eventually, the manager relented and gave Sam a two week run. In June, Alan booked Sam at two dinner clubs in the Catskills just before he opened at the Copa. The idea was that they'd be Dress rehearsals for the real thing. It was a good thing Alan booked the gigs because the performer performances were a mess. Instead of working with his usual arranger, Sam had hired the one Sammy Davis Jr. Used. And he decided not to include many of his biggest hits in favor of songs that a white audience would like. The new arrangements were too instrument forward and left no room for Sam to do his thing. Not that he was trying to do much of that. He was too scared of failing again. Luckily, Sam had a team of people who knew how to help. They reworked the set list and brought back Sam's arranger. By the time opening night at the Copa came, they had a white friendly version of a Sam Cooke show. Sure enough, Sam crushed was exactly the validation he'd always hoped for. After the Copa, Sam toured for a few more months. But he'd grown tired of life on the road. More and more black artists were getting caught up in all sorts of scandals. And not just in the South. Sam felt like it was only a matter of time before something happened to him too. So he decided it was time to get back to Los Angeles and take a well earned break. He only had two more gigs lined up for the rest of 1964. The first was a five night run at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta, Georgia over Thanksgiving featuring two of his top performing groups from SAR Records. On the last night of the Atlanta gig, Sam handed out bonuses to his musicians. He told them all to get nice gifts for their families and and said he'd see them in Miami in three weeks. None of them knew that Sam had just given his final performance. Tyler redick here from 2311 Racing. And Bubba Wallace. You know what's the worst part of a race? A rain delay. Sitting around waiting for the track to dry is dull. But instead of waiting, we hang out with Chumba Casino. Social casino, slots, bingo, solitaire. Plenty of fun to keep us entertained. So why let a rain delay slow you down? Play now@chumbacasino.com let's Chumba. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary VGW prey prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply. The night of December 10, 1964 started out like any other. 33 year old. Sam Cooke had just returned to LA after his show in Atlanta. He had plans to meet his friend and longtime sound engineer Al Schmidt at a popular nightlife spot in Hollywood called Martone's. Al brought Joan, his wife at the time, and the three got a table in the bustling club. Sam ordered several martinis and kept drinking while Al and Joan ate Their food. He wasn't a sloppy drunk by any means, but after all those drinks, Sam was less careful than usual. The three friends chatted and laughed as they drank. At one point, Sam took a wad of cash out of his pocket and flashed it all around. Joan tried to get him to put it away and stopped showing off. He was going to attract the wrong sort of attention, but Sam just laughed her off. He wasn't worried about all that. Talk eventually turned to business as it usually did when Al and Sam got together. They discussed Sam's plans for the next album. Sam was feeling particularly inspired by the blues lately and thought maybe he'd try making a blues record next. The night wore on and Sam showed no signs of slowing down. But the Schmidts had other plans. When they left, Sam was chatting up a young woman at the bar before heading out. Al said he was excited to get back into the studio with Sam, but he would never get the chance. The next day, Al Schmidt was watching the news when a breaking story stopped him in his tracks. Sam Cooke was dead. Al and Joan couldn't believe what they were seeing. But the LAPD's 77th Precinct wasn't too surprised. According to them, this was nothing more than another shooting in a black neighborhood. Their official story went like this. Sam picked up a young woman, 22 year old Elisa Boyer, at Martoni's bar around midnight. They left at approximately 1:30 in the morning, heading to another nightclub for more drinks. It was around 2:30am when they arrived at the Hacienda Motel about 15 miles south of Martone's, in a neighborhood known as Watts. Sam went to the front desk to get a room where he first met bertha Franklin, the 55 year old manager of the motel. According to Elisa, Sam then dragged her into her room, removed her clothes and threw her on the bed. She was sure he was going to assault her, so while he was in the bathroom, she snatched up the pile of clothing and made her escape. She first ran to the manager's apartment and knocked on the door, but she only waited for a moment before taking off again. Elisa ran from the motel and ended up in a phone booth about a block away where where she called the police at 3.08am Meanwhile, Sam came out of the bathroom and saw she was gone. When he went to get dressed, he would have realized that Alisa had taken the majority of his clothes, which were in a pile with her own. Now angry and in a hurry, he threw on what he could find and went after her in just his jacket and shoes. According To Bertha, Sam pounded on her door in a blind rage, Accusing her of hiding the girl. She tried to tell him that Elisa wasn't there, but allegedly, Sam pushed past her to search the apartment. When he didn't find Elisa, Sam allegedly attacked Bertha, who claimed that she fought back by kicking, scratching, and even biting. At her first opportunity, Bertha reached for a pistol she kept for safety and and fired three shots at close range. Sam stumbled back in shock. According to bertha, his last words were, lady, you shot me. That story didn't make sense to anyone who'd ever known Sam Cooke. He was never the type to get physically violent with anyone, let alone a woman. Sam's friends, family, and fans were sure there was much more to the story than the police were telling them. It was also pretty clear that the LAPD wasn't particularly motivated to investigate the case. Native angelenos knew that the 77th Precinct had a relationship with a black community that could be described as negligent at best and combative at worst. So it wasn't surprising that the investigation was incredibly short and rested entirely on the testimony of the two women. The closest the case ever came to a trial was a coroner's inquest held five days later, which declared Sam's death a justifiable homicide. Alisa and Bertha were both interviewed at the inquest. And while authorities seemed satisfied with their answers, the public was left with more questions. Sure enough, the closer they looked, the more holes they noticed. For one thing, Alisa said that she repeatedly asked Sam to take her home, including while they were in the office getting a room. But according to Bertha, Elisa didn't say anything the entire time they'd interacted. She certainly never heard the young woman ask to go home. Even more suspicious, Bertha described a harrowing physical fight. But she didn't have any visible marks on her at the inquest beyond that, another guest at the motel that night Reported seeing Sam and Elisa from the window of his room, and he disputed the claim that Sam dragged Alisa into their room. All this put even more doubt in the minds of Sam's supporters. Someone was hiding something, and it wasn't long until the public learned exactly what that was. A month after Sam's death, Elisa Boyer was arrested for sex work. Reports also came out that Bertha Franklin had a criminal record and was a former madam. These revelations led to the first theory of what really happened that night. Sam had fallen into a trap. According to this theory, Elisa and her pimp likely saw the cash Sam had been flaunting earlier that night. So Elisa was sent to lure him to the Hacienda Motel, which they allegedly used as a sort of brothel. At the first opportunity, Elisa took Sam's pants, knowing that the money was in them. Seeing that he'd been robbed, Sam went after her, which was the real reason he was so furious when he confronted Bertha, who he might have assumed was involved somehow. Despite these revelations, the LAPD didn't pursue the case any further. But Sam's loved ones weren't giving up so easily. The general consensus was that authorities wanted to sweep the entire thing under the rug. But why? Alan Klein and J.W. alexander hired a private investigator to look into it. And before long, they realized that as beloved as Sam had been, he'd made his fair share of enemies, too. Some of them were in pretty high places, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Any evidence that the FBI might have been involved in Sam's death is purely speculative. That said, the circumstances are pretty suspicious. Sam was publicly associated with Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, both of whom were on FBI watch lists during the 1960s. Those friendships alone would have been enough to put Sam on the FBI's radar. And as Sam became more vocal in his support of the civil rights movement, he would have been seen as even more of a threat. He died just as he was poised to re release his most political song yet. An anthem that could and did go on to inspire his legions of fans, both black and white, in the fight against racial injustice. It was possible the FBI was working to protect other interests, too. Not only was Sam Cooke an influential artist, but his record company was disrupting the music industry as a whole. He was creating a path for other black artists to reach his same level of fame and fortune. And it threatened the old company's bottom lines. Whatever actually happened that night, Sam Cooke's death was a tragedy for his loved ones and his many fans. The family held two funerals, One in Chicago and another in Los Angeles. Between the two services, more than 200,000 people came to pay their respects and celebrate Sam's life. The case was officially closed after the coroner's inquest. But the pain of losing Sam so suddenly continued to haunt his friends and family. However, one person was ready to move on. Less than a month after his death, his wife, 29 year old Barbara, started seeing 20 year old Bobby Womack, who'd been Sam's protege for years. Her marriage to Sam had been in shambles for years, so from her perspective, it probably didn't seem that fast. But from what others could tell, it seemed disrespectful of Sam not to mention a little suspicious. And then things got worse. When Allen and Barbara pulled the plug on the private investigation. Allen was worried about exposing too much like the state of Sam's marriage. As for Barbara, she wanted to spare her children any more pain. Besides, nothing they uncovered would bring Sam back. For all the conspiracy theories out there, this added more fuel to the fire. They wondered if Barbara and Alan had something to do with Sam's death. Again, there is no evidence to suggest this was the case. But even Sam's family was suspicious. Especially because Sam died without creating a will, which meant that by default, most of Sam's assets went to Barbara. For her part, Barbara felt like everyone was against her. Well, that included Sam's business partners. So against their advice, she drained all the money out of SAM's Tracy Limited account and converted everything to cash. She even tried to sue J.W. alexander to dissolve the publishing company. Bills from the legal battle and taxes from cashing out such large sums threatened to eat up all the money Barbara managed to access. So she gave up the fight in 1966 and so sold her half of Keg's music to Sam's old producers. The price she got was laughably small. $75,000, which would be just shy of $800,000 today. Eventually, the producers sold their half of Kegs to Alan klein. Then in 1968, Alan bought out JW. For many people, this felt like a slap in the face. Sam had worked so hard to get out from under the thumb of wealthy white men, and in the end, everything he built went to one anyway. But his businesses weren't the only legacy Sam left behind. During his lifetime and beyond, he inspired artists who went on to be trailblazers in the their own right. Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick both toured with Sam early in their careers and took his lessons to heart. And many modern singers credit Sam as a major artistic influence. Even then, it's difficult to know that Sam never got to see his plans through. There was still so much he wanted to achieve. But like any story that's left unfinished, we'll have to be satisfied with what we do have. And when it comes to an artist like Sam Cooke, that's more than enough.
[42:50]
Vanessa Richardson
Thanks for listening to this episode of Crime House 24. 7. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Cults, Cons and Personality, where I get into two of the most brazen cults and con artists who ever lived. And to enhance your listening experience, join Crime House plus and get every episode of Crime House 24. 7 completely ad free. Along with early ad. Free access to all Crime House shows, plus monthly bonus episodes. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of the crime house 24. 7 page. Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new Crime House original with Sabrina, Deanna Roga, and Alexis Linkletter. Every week, one host brings real, true crime stories from Reddit, while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this, except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe@c CrimesofRedditpod on YouTube.