Lady, You Shot Me: The Life and Death of Sam Cooke

Overview

At just 33, Sam Cooke's life was tragically cut short on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles. Responding to reports of a shooting and a kidnapping, police discovered Cooke's body, dressed only in a sports jacket and shoes, with a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. The motel's manager, Bertha Franklin, claimed she shot Cooke in self-defense after he forcibly entered her office and assaulted her. However, her story faced skepticism from those who knew the legendary singer, igniting controversy surrounding the circumstances of his untimely death.