R&B's Sam Moore Talks Career, Faith and Patriotism

Sam Moore was half of the hugely successful R&B duo “Sam and Dave” in the 60’s and 70’s. The pair had multiple top-10 singles, including the smash hit “Soul Man” in 1967. Today, at age 82, he’s still recording and performing. Recently we talked about his career, 15-year drug addiction, and his faith in God.

Scott Ross: “Mr. Sam, you’ve been at this for a little while, haven’t you?”

Sam Moore: “65 years. [SR: “Is that right?”] 65 years.”

SR: “How do you feel?”

SM: “I feel wonderful.”

SR: “When you started in ‘the biz’—but you started in Gospel prior to that. [SM: “Yes, yes. Right.”] Is that where you met, you and Dave met?”

SM: “No. I didn’t meet him in gos – but he was also doing gospel with a group. I met him when he was doing, ah, amateur shows and things like that. They used to call him the man that sounded like Sam Cooke. [SR: “Really?”] Yeah. [SR: “I love Sam Cook.”] Yeah, I love Sam, yeah.”

SR: “Okay, but when you two got together finally, did you just know, there was something in the voices that worked? What was it?”

SM: “The harmonizing or blending or whatever. But we did a lot of call and response. You know, I sang and he said ‘Yeah, Sam,’ I had the audience.  And I lied my way into getting the job at the club and said that I was a good emcee. And they said, ‘Well, have you ever worked at it?’ I said, ‘Well I work with Murray the K in New York.’ [SR: “That’s where I worked.”] I know, I know. [SR: “I was assistant music director.”] That’s right. That’s right.”

SR: “But when Sam & Dave broke out, what was the first big one?”

SM: “The one that really got the attention was ‘You Don’t Know Like I Know.’” “

SR: But when that success came, how did it affect you?”

SM: “I always felt like we had to prove that we belonged.”

SR: “In what way?”

SM: “Because we didn’t have what you call ‘steps’ and all that. We did what the body felt like doing.”

SR: “You weren’t choreographed.”

SM: “No, not at all. You know. And we had a preaching style act where we would do like we were in church and what not.” [SR: “Nothing wrong with that.”]

SR: “How long did Sam & Dave stay together?”

SM: “Twenty one, 22 years.”

SR:  “And you separated, why?”

SM:  “Because of the drugs.”

SR:  “Whose drugs? Which drugs?”

SM:  “Both. [SR: “Both of you got into that?”] Oh yeah.”

SR:  “How did you get into that coming out of the background you came out of?”

SM: “I got into it because I wanted to be accepted. Yeah, I wanted to be accepted by everybody, you know.”

SR: “What did it do to your music?”

SM: “We lost everything. [SR: “Really?”] Everything: family, cars, jewelry, money.”

SR:  “You got busted?”

SM: “Two or three times. [SR: “Did you really?”] Yeah, two or three times. OD’ed many times. [SR: “Really?”]  Oh God, yeah.”
 
SM: “I was messed up. I was really—hey, 15 years, that’s enough for anybody, don’t you think?”

SR: “It really is. Used for 15 years?”

SM: “Fifteen years. Hard drugs.”

SR: “So what broke the back of it? What changed?”

SM: “You can get all the help you need. But you can’t get the cure and stay in the same environment. Because it’s –and it’s inevitable that you’re going to return.”

Sam’s saving grace was his wife, Joyce, who never gave up on him and got him help.

SR: “Was there somewhere in here that God came into the picture?”

SM: “Yeah. And, you know what, something hit me. And I said, you know, ‘If You don’t kill me I won’t do this no more. I ain’t going to do this no more.’ Because I could see it. I wasn’t coming back from this one.”

SR:  “So that was it. [SM: “Yeah.”] And you were clean and you never went back to that.”

SM: “I think about 30, maybe going on 40 years, yeah.”

SR: “But, here you are, you’re still out here, you’re still doing it. And you’re singing and all sorts of awards. You’ve recorded with Bruce … [SM: “Bruce Springsteen, yeah.”] And with the rock-n-roll hall of fame”  [“Yeah”].

SR: “You performed at the inauguration of President Trump.”

SM: “I was doing it for my country and this, my flag.  There are five Presidents I’ve performed before. [SR: “That ain’t bad, for an ex-druggie.”] Yeah, how about that, huh?”

Sam’s latest project is a collection of patriotic standards: An American Patriot.

SM: “I did it for the veterans. I will not deny putting my arms around you because half of your skin is falling off. I’m still going to hug you and love you. And say thank you for protecting me.”

SR: “The Lord has kept you over these years … you’re still here. [“Yes, sir.’] Why?”

SM: “Because He’s got something for me to do. [“Yeah, and you keep on doing it.”] And I keep on doing it. Every morning I get up, and I say, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I’m going to learn until He says, ‘Servant, well done.’”