(From the liner notes of The Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, a three box set by Specialty.) Five men in crisp white suits stand shoulder to shoulder, ready to go to work. In ...

Here’s a welcome, renewed acquaintance with two old friends and a chance meet some new ones, as this double-CD reissues the original Soul Stirrers vinyl SAR albums and includes some stray unissued ...

These gospel stalwarts seem so weighed down by their own history – r & b greats Sam Cooke and Johnnie Taylor both fronted them – that they nearly drown their reunion in nostalgia rather than seeking ...

A few years ago, I was at a party for a friend’s kid. In the midst of a brief lull, my friend April dramatically waved me back into the kitchen to whisper a secret. The huge secret? She finds ...

The Soul Stirrers have inspired gospel and R&B audiences for more than eight decades. The vocal quartet has moved through several incarnations. At different times, the group has included singing ...

From the late ’50s until his death in 1964, the great R&B singer Sam Cooke championed other important artists on his SAR Records label. Having launched his own career in the early ’50s as a member of ...

On Sunday, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Soul Stirrers will perform at the "Bridge The Gap; A Change Is Gonna Come" event, 5:30 p.m. at the Blessed Hope Worship Center, Robin Street and ...

The Complete Specialty Recordings (Specialty) The end felt so tragic because the beginning sounded so pure. When Sam Cooke was murdered in a Los Angeles motel in 1964 while allegedly attempting to ...

Not just any group can put the word "legendary" in its name and mean it. Formed in Trinity, Texas, 1926, the Soul Stirrers have, over time, featured both Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls. Now lead by vocalist ...

The Soul Stirrers have inspired gospel and R&B audiences for more than eight decades. After a long hiatus, they are back together with a new album, A Soul Stirring Reunion, which combines classics ...

In 1957, the gospel music world was rent asunder with the revelation that Sam Cooke, the 26-year-old lead vocalist of the renowned Soul Stirrers, had sold out and gone pop. Today’s listeners may be ...