Sam Gooden | |
|---|---|
 The Impressions in 1964, from left to right: Sam Gooden, Curtis Mayfield, and Fred Cash | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Gooden |
| Born | September 2, 1934 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 2022 (aged 87) Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
Samuel Gooden (September 2, 1934 – August 4, 2022)[1] was an American soul singer. He was best known for being an original member of the successful 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted R&B group The Impressions, from its beginnings as The Roosters in the 1950s.[2][3]
Though often uncredited, his smooth voice can often be heard trading lines with lead singer Curtis Mayfield (most notably on "It's All Right") or his replacement, Leroy Hutson, on quite a number of songs. Gooden also sang lead vocals on a handful of Impressions tunes, such as "Aware Of Love" and the group's cover of "I Wanna Be Around".[4] His distinctive bass vocals can also be heard on the group's Top 20 smashes , "Gypsy Woman", "Talking About My Baby", and People Get Ready, along with their chart hit, "I Been Trying", (later covered by Eric Clapton) . Gooden and the group recorded and performed until his death in 2022. He was inducted with the group in 1991 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[5]
Gooden can be seen with original Impressions members Fred Cash and Curtis Mayfield (via archive footage) in the group's first-ever extended interview in the 2008 DVD Movin On Up – The Message and The Music of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions, which also features a special poem dedicated to the group written and performed by actor Clifton Davis.
Gooden died of a heart attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on August 4, 2022, at the age of 87, as was reported by his wife.[6]
