Fact #62875
When:
Short story:
After an evening at PJ's club, Sam Cooke is shot dead by the manageress of The Hacienda Motel, Los Angeles, California, USA. It is claimed that he was killed in defense of Elisa Boyer, a Eurasian girl he had picked up earlier that evening, and is alleged to have tried to rape.
Full article:
Solomon Burke : I was in Los Angeles with sam cooke the night he was shot. We were out at that club together. I saw him leave and it was like any other night. 'Goodbye, Sam, call you tomorrow.'
Elisa Boyer : We had a little incident at PJ's. We were sitting at the very entrance, and some people came over and Mr. Cooke started talking with them ... I was just sitting there ... A gentleman sat next to me and started talking to me and Mr. Cooke got quite angry and wanted to hit the man ... That's why we left.
He was going very fast in his car. I told him I wanted to go home ... He took the freeway .... I was very frightened because he was driving so fast ... He said, 'Don't worry, I'll take you home.'
After we got past downtown, I asked him again to take me home. He kept talking to me, saying how he thought I was such a lovely person, and I had such long, pretty hair ... I said, 'Please, Mr. Cooke, take me home.'
I started talking very loudly, 'Please, take me home.' He turned the night latch, pushed me on the bed. He pinned me on the bed. He kept saying, 'We're just going to talk.' ... He pulled my sweater off and ripped my dress ... I knew he was going to rape me ... I tried the window, but it was painted down and it just wouldn't unlock.
When I walked out, he walked into the bathroom ... I picked up my clothes, my shoes and my handbag. I opened the latch and I ran out.
Bertha Franklin (manageress, Hacienda Motel) : He just kept saying where was the girl. I told him to get the police if he wanted to search my place. He said, 'Damn the police,' and started working on the door with his shoulder... It wasn't long before he was in... When he walked in, he walked straight to the kitchen, and then he came back and went into the bedroom. Then he came out. I was standing there in the floor and he grabbed both of my arms and started twisting them and asking me where was the girl.
We got in a tussle. We fell to the floor. I tried to bite him through that jacket … biting, scratching, biting, scratching and everything ... I got up ... He came to me. I pushed him back again ... I run and grabbed the pistol off the … grabbed the gun off the TV.
He said, 'Lady, you shot me.'
Solomon Burke : Later that night at my hotel, my friend calls and tells me Sam's been shot. I thought he was joking. 'Sam wasn't shot man. I just left him.' It was no joke. Sam's death was devastating. He meant so much to me. He meant a lot to all of us. He represented the next level for all of us. He opened doors that haven't been stepped through since. He was gonna be the next Nat King Cole.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins : Sam Cooke was killed by the Mafia. All he did was chase a woman, while still in his shorts, because she stole his wallet. And when he ran into the office after her, this black woman shot him. It was a setup.
Sam Cooke fought the establishment. He was making too much money and, when a black man gets that big, there's got to be a white man behind him, and Sam didn't want a white manager.
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Elisa Boyer : We had a little incident at PJ's. We were sitting at the very entrance, and some people came over and Mr. Cooke started talking with them ... I was just sitting there ... A gentleman sat next to me and started talking to me and Mr. Cooke got quite angry and wanted to hit the man ... That's why we left.
He was going very fast in his car. I told him I wanted to go home ... He took the freeway .... I was very frightened because he was driving so fast ... He said, 'Don't worry, I'll take you home.'
After we got past downtown, I asked him again to take me home. He kept talking to me, saying how he thought I was such a lovely person, and I had such long, pretty hair ... I said, 'Please, Mr. Cooke, take me home.'
I started talking very loudly, 'Please, take me home.' He turned the night latch, pushed me on the bed. He pinned me on the bed. He kept saying, 'We're just going to talk.' ... He pulled my sweater off and ripped my dress ... I knew he was going to rape me ... I tried the window, but it was painted down and it just wouldn't unlock.
When I walked out, he walked into the bathroom ... I picked up my clothes, my shoes and my handbag. I opened the latch and I ran out.
Bertha Franklin (manageress, Hacienda Motel) : He just kept saying where was the girl. I told him to get the police if he wanted to search my place. He said, 'Damn the police,' and started working on the door with his shoulder... It wasn't long before he was in... When he walked in, he walked straight to the kitchen, and then he came back and went into the bedroom. Then he came out. I was standing there in the floor and he grabbed both of my arms and started twisting them and asking me where was the girl.
We got in a tussle. We fell to the floor. I tried to bite him through that jacket … biting, scratching, biting, scratching and everything ... I got up ... He came to me. I pushed him back again ... I run and grabbed the pistol off the … grabbed the gun off the TV.
He said, 'Lady, you shot me.'
Solomon Burke : Later that night at my hotel, my friend calls and tells me Sam's been shot. I thought he was joking. 'Sam wasn't shot man. I just left him.' It was no joke. Sam's death was devastating. He meant so much to me. He meant a lot to all of us. He represented the next level for all of us. He opened doors that haven't been stepped through since. He was gonna be the next Nat King Cole.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins : Sam Cooke was killed by the Mafia. All he did was chase a woman, while still in his shorts, because she stole his wallet. And when he ran into the office after her, this black woman shot him. It was a setup.
Sam Cooke fought the establishment. He was making too much money and, when a black man gets that big, there's got to be a white man behind him, and Sam didn't want a white manager.