Sam Cooke: Crossing Over: Tonight on American Masters on PBS

Posted on January 11, 2010
“What to Watch Monday: American Masters opens with a profile of the soul titan Sam Cooke. A highlight: Lou Rawls explaining how touring gospel singers (like Mr. Cooke, early in his career) 'got over good' — even better than R&B and jazz musicians — because of their wholesome reputations." - The New York Times In 1958, when Sam Cooke crossed over from gospel to "the devil's music," he set in motion a chain of events that altered the course of popular music and race relations in America. Sam Cooke: Crossing Over examines Cooke's musical and political significance during the early civil rights movement and unravels some of the myths surrounding his life and death, revealing a complex portrait of a flawed but talented man. Sam Cooke: Crossing Over premieres tonight, January 11 at 9:00 PM on American Masters on PBS (check local listings). A co-production of ITVS in association with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC).

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