Sam Gooden, founding and longest-serving member of soul group the Impressions, has died at the age of 87.
His daughter, Gina Griffin, said Gooden died Thursday, a month shy of his 88th birthday, in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his family.
No cause of death was given, though ChattanoogaRadioTV.com reported that Gooden’s health had declined in recent years, including kidney and breathing issues.
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The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago.
Gooden sang lead baritone vocals on the group’s first hit single, 1958 ballad For Your Precious Love, which reached number 11 on the US pop charts and number three on the R&B charts.
(Image: Getty Images)
The Impressions remained a top group in the 1960s, known for their gospel-styled harmonies and socially conscious songs.
Mayfield helped write many of their hits, including the widely covered People Get Ready, along with Gypsy Woman, Keep on Pushing, It’s All Right and We’re A Winner.
Their classic People Get Ready was touted as the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights movement, and was later inducted into both the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry as well as the Grammy Hall of Fame.
(Image: Redferns)
The band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tweeted in tribute: ‘Remembering Sam Gooden of 1991 Inductees The Impressions, whose music effortlessly bridged R&B with the sound of the civil rights movement.
‘As an original member, Gooden’s uplifting voice was an essential component of The Impressions’ unique vocal blend.
(Image: Redferns)
Mayfield left the group in 1970 for a solo career, although he continued to write and help produce for The Impressions.
Gooden and fellow Chattanoogan Fred Cash continued to sing as The Impressions along with other lead singers, including Leroy Hutson. They toured until 2018.
Decades later, Gooden was invited to the White House to meet then-President Barack Obama.
“He invited us, and it was wonderful. He told us he was proud of us, and that’s something you never forget,” Gooden told ChattanoogaRadioTV.com.
David Fricke wrote in Rolling Stone in 1991 upon their Rock Hall induction: “The Impressions continue to be a major influence on popular music.
“Their sound and vision can still be heard – in rap, contemporary-soul balladry and the incipient school of black rock.”
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