Sam Cooke Rolling Stones #16 Artist of All Time Born January 22, 1931: Clarksdale, Mississippi , U.S. Died December 11, 1964: Los Angeles, California , U.S. Origin: Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Instruments: Vocals, piano, guitar Years active 1951–1964 Sam Cooke 's been called the King of Soul. The Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 16 in their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time issue. His string of hit songs include "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Wonderful World", and "Twistin' the Night Away." AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder wrote that Cooke was " the inventor of soul music," and possessed "an incredible natural singing voice and a smooth, effortless delivery that has never been surpassed ."