Singer Sam Moore, the surviving half and higher voice of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave, known for definitive hits of the era like "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I’m Comin'," has passed away at the age of 89.
Publicist Jeremy Westby announced that Moore died Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery. No further details are available at this time.
Moore, whose admirers included Al Green and Bruce Springsteen, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 alongside Dave Prater.
At Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, Moore and Prater were only second to Otis Redding as the label's biggest stars. They transformed the "call and response" style of gospel music into a thrilling live performance and recorded some of soul music’s most lasting hits, including "You Don’t Know Like I Know," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," and "I Thank You."
Most of their hits were penned and produced by the talented team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter and featured the Stax house band, Booker T. and the M.G.’s. Guitarist Steve Cropper received one of music’s most famous shout-outs when Sam & Dave said, "Play it, Steve," halfway through "Soul Man."
Moore was inducted with Dave Prater into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992
