60 Years Ago, When the Baton was Passed from Sam Cooke to David Ruffin During the Turbulent Sixties | VIDEO

“Voices ought not be measured by how pretty they are. Instead, they matter only if they convince you that they are telling the truth.” — Sam Cooke

*This week marks the 60^th anniversary of the death of singer Sam Cooke (12-11-64). I remember hearing his voice on the radio as a toddler growing up in Detroit. I guess I listened to music so intently that my parents surprised me with my own portable record player on my fourth birthday, along with a stack of 78’s of recordings by various artists.

The song “We’re You There” by The Soul Stirrers featuring Sam Cooke particularly caught my attention because his powerful tenor voice stood out on the airwaves, and also it started a conversation among the adults. The conversation was probably about the fact that Cooke – known for his gospel performances – had begun to dabble in secular music. His big breakthrough came with his recording “You Send Me,” followed by other hits like “Twistin’ The Night Away,” “Chain Gang,” and “Cupid.”

In the summer of 1961, my father went off to find work in California. In December of that same year, my baby brother Milton Jr. was born. He lived for seven weeks, then died. Afterward, my father moved us all to California. On our final day in Detroit, as we were packing, one of my cousins brought over a copy of a song we had never heard called “Action Speaks Louder Than Words.”

He played the song over and over again, so that by the time we hit the road that winter night, my sister Debra and I kept singing the song as much as we could remember. Since it was a local hit, we never heard the song again, and our memory of it became vague.

In the meantime, Sam Cooke was in his stride, and I prided myself that I could sing “Cupid” just like him, note for note. Then his voice seemed to take a turn with a grittier, more soulful sound on recordings like “Bring It On Home To Me,” “Havin’ A Party,” “Somebody Have Mercy,” “Good Times,” and “Little Red Rooster.” After seeing a billboard of a collegiate-looking Cooke and his band advertising Coca-Cola, I remember thinking “I wanna be like him!” Then, it happened.

On the morning of December 11, 1964, we awakened to the news that Sam Cooke had been shot and killed. I couldn’t believe it; I was crushed. My hero was gone.

The following month, a friend of my father’s named Otis came by to show off his shiny new red and white Plymouth. As he was taking us for a spin, Otis kept saying to my father, “Buford you got to hear this new song!” Then suddenly “My Girl” came on the radio and Otis excitedly shouted “Buford that’s it…that’s the song!” as he turned up the radio. Now, here I am in the backseat, still grieving Sam Cooke, Otis blasting a song of a “wannabe” Sam Cooke, and speeding down the narrow eastside streets – going faster as the song progressed. I couldn’t stand the song and I couldn’t stand Otis for doing that!

Having fallen on hard times, a month or so later, my family moved back to Detroit where Black neighborhoods were having a huge Motown party. Everywhere, people were talking about The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Temptations, and all things Motown! On the road coming back from California, it seemed all we heard on the radio was “My Girl” by The Temptations, and “Stop In The Name Of Love” by The Supremes; now I could see why. The more I learned about Berry Gordy, Motown, and the genius of hit singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson, the more intrigued I became.

Eventually, I put two and two together and realized that the guy singing lead on “My Girl,” David Ruffin, was the same guy who soloed “Action Speaks Louder Than Words.” It’s like he sent us away with “Action” and brought us back home with “My Girl.” I also discovered that “My Girl” was released in December 1964, and it was like Cooke was handing the baton to Ruffin to pick up where he’d left off.

There are many other artists that I appreciate and adore, but this revelation struck a chord with me. Cooke and Ruffin became two of the most significant figures in the Black culture – Cooke during the first half of the sixties, and Ruffin during the last half.

The similar timbre in their voices and their universal appeal prompted and inspired Black men to see themselves differently in the mirror with strength, courage, and dignity. When I once asked Ruffin what he thought about being compared to Sam Cooke he replied, “I had to model after somebody.”

Following are some comparisons of the vocal abilities of both Cooke and Ruffin:

Sam Cooke: Vocal ability
[Cooke is widely considered one of the greatest singers and most accomplished vocalists of all time. His incredibly pure tenor voice was big, velvety and expansive, with an instantly recognizable tone. Cooke’s pitch was remarkable, and his manner of singing was effortlessly soulful.

Cooke could go as high as high C without losing purity or volume, and his upper mid-range was coated in a unique rasp. Cooke’s vocal style was very adaptable, adopting a rather classical sound on jazz and pop songs while maintaining his trademark stylistic soulful hold on R&B, gospel and soul music.

Cooke’s delivery encompassed a wide range of emotions including playful expressiveness to interact with listeners, mellow somberness as a form of reflection, and (in “A Change Is Gonna Come”) profound soulfulness. When performing live, he would often play with notes and scales and experiment with melodies and his enunciation, while improvising entire songs. Cooke also began to perform highly charged versions of his songs later in his career.] (Wikipedia)

Jerry Wexler: “When I listen to him, I still can’t believe the things he did,” said Jerry Wexler, who wanted to sign Cooke to Atlantic Records. “It’s always fresh and amazing to me. He has control, he could play with his voice like an instrument, his melisma…I mean, nobody else could do it. Everything about him was perfection.”

Aretha Franklin: “Sam Cooke had a huge influence on me. He left the gospel field at one point and went into the secular, and he had this huge hit, ‘You Send Me.’ Irma, my older sister, and I heard ‘You Send Me’ on the radio while we were driving through the South one night. We had to stop the car. We got out and danced around the car out on the highway.” – Aretha Franklin

David Ruffin: Vocal ability
[A voice that has effortlessly crossed the boundaries of time. As the magnetic lead singer of The Temptations, Ruffin’s influence on the music industry is irrefutable, with his soulful interpretations continuing to mesmerize listeners. We ensure that his enduring legacy is not only preserved but also discovered by a new generation of music aficionados.

David Ruffin’s contributions to music are nothing short of monumental. As the voice behind some of The Temptations’ most iconic hits, he etched an indelible legacy in the annals of music history. His solo work further illuminated his extraordinary talent, proving that his voice was as compelling on its own as it was within the group. Today, Ruffin’s legacy continues to inspire and captivate, ensuring that his place in the pantheon of music legends remains unchallenged. Through the unparalleled power of his voice and the profound emotions he conveyed, David Ruffin truly stands as a soul legend for the ages.] (Funkologie; by Michel Maillard)

Ray Charles: “There was a lot of black music in the last half of the sixties that I could relate to… I liked many of the so-called soul singers – David Ruffin with the Temptations, Otis Redding, Little Milton, and Sam and Dave.” (From Ray Charles’ autobiography with David Ritz 1977)

Al Jarreau: “David’s voice was the most, to say the least,” Jarreau told me. “He was like a long, lean, musical instrument with infinite high-low range. His loss was a real tragedy.” (Shepherd Express/Jan. 2022)

Sam Cooke and David Ruffin both died under mysterious circumstances. May they both rest in peace and power!

Larry Buford is a contributing writer. Author of “Things Are Gettin’ Outta Hand” and “Book To The Future” (Amazon). Email: [email protected]

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