The mysterious circumstances that took Sam Cooke away from the world

Sam Cooke - a talented individual who epitomises the period 1960-х. At the same time, he remains a mystery 20th centuryor rather, his passing. The young up-and-coming soul singer and civil rights activist has left us forever 11 December 1964. in a cheap Los Angeles motel. The circumstances of death were highly questionable. They were never fully explained. So. what happened with Sam Cooke, a popular African-American musician who managed to impress audiences of all races?

He was a danger to the authorities

It was not just his voice but his determination that made Cook an icon of an entire era. He championed the cause desegregation and was friends with important supporters civil rightssuch as Malcolm X и Muhammad Ali. Perhaps such activity and his desire to do things his own way contributed to his early demise.

The official story is that Cook died from a bullet. Bertha Franklinthe manager of a cheap Los Angeles motel where he brought a young woman. Elise Boyer. But the lack of witnesses and the low credibility of those involved has led many to wonder about the true circumstances... We suggest travelling back to the one fateful nightand try to reconstruct the chain of events.

Meeting Elise Boyer

In the evening. 10 December 1964 Cook, producer Al Schmitt and his wife were having dinner at an Italian restaurant Martoni in Los Angeles. At that time, Cook was a star, and people literally did not leave him alone even at meals. As a result, the musician left the establishment and went to the barwhere he met Elise Boyer - A 22-year-old girl with whom he had developed a crush. According to eyewitnesses, they left the bar around 1am - the couple jumped into Cook's new red Ferrari and headed for a club called PJ's.

That night Cook had been drinking a lot, as had his lady. Soon, Boyer was being hit on by a guy, which triggered conflict: Cook had a big fight and left PJ's with Elise at about 2 a.m. The girl asked him to take her to PJ's. The girl asked him to take her homebut the musician brought her to the infamous motel...

The final resting place of a legend

Boyer's memoirs show that Cook. was speeding and drove recklessly. When she again asked to be driven home, Cook allegedly stroked her hair and said:

"Don't worry about it. I just want to go for a little ride..."

After driving around 17 miles.he finally pulled off the motorway and stopped at a motel. Hacienda - a run-down establishment known for renting rooms by the hour. Mostly the motel saw unkempt, rough customers-it was an affordable place that cost only a $3.00. overnight! And that's why red Ferrari Cooke and his smart suit contrasted sharply against his...

According to Boyer, Cook brought her to Hacienda vs. of her will. Allegedly when he left to pay for the room, he locked her in the car. However, according to the manager. Bertha Franklin, girl. didn't look upset. Boyer later blamed the artiste, saying he wanted to take advantage of her:

"We walked into the room. He grabbed me sharply, ripping my dress. I started screaming..."

After a series of mishaps, the girl managed to escape. Grabbing clothes as fast as she could, Boyer picked up a few of Cook's belongings. She then ran to the motel manager's office, but no one answered when she knocked on the door. Fearing that Cook might be following her, Boyer fled the motel. She called the police from a pay phone in the 3:08 in the morning with the words:

"Please find me on this number. I don't know where I am. I've been kidnapped!"

Fatal moment

Boyer managed escape out of the motel only because she had conned Cook into taking a shower. When he came out and found Boyer, his clothes and wallet gone, he came to a rage. He was very drunk, but got behind the wheel and went in search of Boyer. He stopped by the manager's office, assuming his companion was there.

Franklin was on the phone with the motel owner Evelyn Carrwhen I heard Cook screaming: "Is the girl in there?!". The woman claims that when she told Cook she didn't know where Boyer was and refused to open the door, he didn't believe her and tried to force his way in. He busted out the door to the office and a scuffle broke out between them.

"He put me down," Franklin recalled. "I tried to defend myself as best I could: biting and scratching and everything. Finally, I got up and kicked him. I ran up and grabbed the gun off the TV..."

Missing twice, the woman still. got into Cook, piercing his left lung and heart. She also said that before he passed away, he told her:

"Lady, you shot me..."

Evelyn Carr heard the whole thing. She hung up the phone to call the policewhen she heard the sound of gunfire.

The case was hastily closed

Boyer and Franklin checked for lie detectorThe case was quickly closed: the manager's actions were recognised. The case was quickly closed: the actions of the manager were recognised self-defenceand the jury found her story credible. It literally took them 15 minutesto reach a verdict. But to this day, many questions remain unanswered.....

Money Cook mysteriously disappeared. Like his clothes, in fact. The police found his body in only a mackintosh and with alone The shoes on her foot... According to Boyer, she grabbed the musician's clothes by accident, but why? Why would she even think of his clothes when she had no more than 15 minutes to get out of the motel and hide? During the search, no money, cards or Cook's wallet was found on her, although it is known that the artiste was rich! Shortly before his death, he had bought himself a new Ferrari and paid for dinner at Martoni.

Nor did the police see fit to check Boyer for signs of physical abuse. Which begs the question: did they? What's even more surprising confusion in the testimony: it is known that Cook and Boyer met in a bar, but the girl claimed that it happened at a dinner party in the Hollywoodwhere he sang a song for the guests... But that didn't happen.

Was Elise Boyer at the motel?

As strange as it may sound, the fact that her husband was partying with another girl before he died is not at all no surprise Barbara Cook. She had long been aware of her spouse's adventures, and Cook, in fact, had a reputation as an ardent womaniser! Their marriage was cracking at the seams, but for some reason the woman was in no hurry to leave... Was she such a devoted wife? If so, why, shortly after the tragedy. Barbara married Cook's backup singer, Bobby Womacka? And it was only a matter of time before 2 months.

What's more alarming is Cook's motel check-in: the musician and his companion were registered as a conjugal couple "Mr and Mrs Cook". So, an artiste of such stature arrived at a cheap motel where he was not afraid to use his real name and called a random girl he met a few hours ago his wife? By the way, Franklin claimed that the couple looked very much calmly. But let's not forget that Boyer, in her own words, was in a panic! Cook had supposedly kidnapped her... Or was there no kidnapping?

Etta James didn't believe the court

Cook's close friend, the singer. Etta Jamesshe didn't believe the court. She saw the musician in the morgue and noted that he had clearly been physically assaulted. Yes, there was a struggle between Sam and Bertha Franklin. But the woman herself admitted that he was the one who took her down and she was only biting and so on. Nevertheless, Cook had broken noseThere were many bruises and abrasions, a large bump on his head, and both arms were literally torn open! In James's opinion, Cook's wounds were too much. seriousto match Franklin's story. It is known that the artiste's body had to be made up for a very long time, with a thick, thick layer of...

Conspiracy theories

And lastly, many people were convinced that this horrific crime was the work of FBI or mobs. Cook, who was a supporter of civil rights, was closely associated with Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, and this caused . tension around his figure. Also, many African-American artists in the 1960s were associated with crime bosses... We are unlikely to know the truth anymore.

What else is interesting about this whole story is that. both participants in the events soon passed away: Bertha Franklin was gone in 18 months, and Elise Boyer in the early 1970s. Perhaps they were disadvantageous to someone?