In 1964, Sam Cooke, America's first great soul singer and one of the most successful pop acts in the nation recorded "A Change Is Gonna Come".
On December 11th, 1964, almost a year after he recorded "A Change Is Gonna Come", Cooke was fatally shot at an L.A. motel. Two weeks later, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was released, becoming Cooke's farewell address and an anthem of the civil rights movement.