"Soul Man" Singers Sam & Dave Sang in Harmony but had a Contentious Partnership

Tenor Sam Moore and baritone David Prater Jr. made beautiful music together, but they fought like cats and dogs. Still, they had more success as a duo than they did when they went their separate ways as solo artists. As Sam & Dave, they had 10 consecutive Top 20 R&B hits and two Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits.In this tribute to Moore, you can learn the story behind the Sam & Dave partnership including how they decided to form a duo, their turbulent professional relationship and their personal demons. Known as the "sultans of sweat," they were known for their over-the-top performances and recorded successfully at Stax Records in Memphis with Isaac Hayes and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In fact, Hayes co-wrote Sam & Dave's hit "Soul Man." How did Hayes and his co-writer, David Porter, get inspired to write "Soul Man"? You'll learn that in this episode too.You can go here to listen to the official audio recording of "Soul Man." Or better yet, watch them do the song and check out their pink suits in a 1974 performance. The black and white photo in the thumbnail is a publicity shot of Sam & Dave taken for a Stax trade ad in Billboard in 1967 to publicize their single "When Something Is Wrong With My Babe." Moore is on the left. The artwork framing two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.Send us Fan MailThis is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.