Smooth Fact - Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" was inspired by personal events in Cooke's life, but mostly about an event when he was turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana.

Sam Cooke

In October 1963 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Sam Cooke made a reservation with the Holiday Inn North for him and his wife, Barbara. When his group arrived, even with the reservation, they were immediately turned away by the desk clerk saying that the house is already full. Sam refused to leave until he received an answer from the manager. His wife calmed him down and told him, "They'll kill you," and he responded, "They ain't gonna kill me, because I'm Sam Cooke."

When they eventually persuaded Sam to leave, the group drove away shouting insults and blaring their horns. After that, they transferred to the Castle Motel on Sprague Street. Upon arrival, they were stopped by police officers arresting them for peace violations.

The New York Times ran a report the next day, headlined "Negro Band Leader Held in Shreveport."

In 2019 at the city's annual “Let the Good Times Roll” Festival, then Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins issued a formal apology on behalf of Shreveport and presented Sam's daughter with a key to the city.