In honor of a career spanning more than 60 years, rock-and-soul great Sam Moore will be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The voice behind such hits as “I Thank You” and “Hold On I’m Coming” joins singer/songwriter Gregg Allman, composer John Barbe and his wife, Jane, producer John Huie, and numerous others to be inducted in a ceremony Sept. 26 in Atlanta.
Moore catapulted to international fame as the lead voice of the 1960s duo “Sam and Dave,” a musical collaboration with long-time partner and fellow Georgia native Dave Prater. As Sam and Dave, the duo recorded and performed together for 20 years and produced a string of hit albums. But it was a tune written, arranged, and produced by Isaac Hayes that cemented Moore’s place in music history. In 1967, Moore and Hayes wrote “Soul Man,” which Sam and Dave would record later that year. The song became responsible for a resurgence in Moore’s popularity, when Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi assumed the characters of Elwood and Jake Blues, hopped into the Bluesmobile, and took up a career singing the blues as the Blues Brothers. The song the brothers chose as their signature: “Soul Man.”
After a storied career with Prater, Moore went on to enjoy a long solo career, as well,recording with some of the biggest names in numerous genres of music, including Conway Twitty, with whom he recorded the hit song “Rainy Night in Georgia.” In 1992, Moore was inducted, along with the deceased Prater, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, arguably music’s highest honor, capping a career that included a Grammy, honors from the Vocal Music Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Sam was the recipient of the first ever MOBO Living Legends Honor, and he received the AFTRA AMEE Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and a NARAS Hero Award in 2003.
These days, Moore is still making music. In 2006, he joined Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and The Edge to close out the Grammy telecast with a tribute to longtime friend and fellow Atlantic Records recording artist Wilson Pickett. His most recent album, Overnight Sensational, again found him on the receiving end of critical praise, and the single “You Are So Beautiful” was nominated for a Grammy. Moore closed out 2014 with a standing ovation for his performance at the Kennedy Center Honors.
Born in Macon County, Georgia, Moore celebrates his 80th birthday this October.
For more information about Moore, or for up-to-date appearance schedules, visit www.sammoore.net.
ABOUT SAM MOORE
Sam Moore found musical fame as one half of the ’60’s powerhouse duo Sam & Dave. With 1967’s hit “Soul Man,” the duo found lasting fame, defined a genre, and altered the course of music history. Their signature sound influenced a diverse array of musical talents, including Al Green, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Chicago’s Phil Collins, Elvis Costello, and Billy Joel. Their music helped to inspire the film Blues Brothers, and has appeared on the soundtracks of more than a dozen films. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1992, Rolling Stone named Moore one of the 100 greatest singers of the rock era. Moore, 79, continues to perform regularly both in solo shows and as a guest performer for his dozens of musical friends.