Sam and Dave

Sam Moore and Dave Prater met in 1961 while both were working at a nightclub in Atlanta. They started singing together and were eventually signed to Hi Records by producer Willie Mitchell. Their partnership was built on a straightforward vocal chemistry, Moore's higher tenor and Prater's deeper baritone trading lines and pushing each other forward.

At Stax Records in Memphis, working with the songwriting and production team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, they recorded a series of singles that became soul standards. 'Hold On, I'm Comin'' and 'Soul Man' were built on the Stax house band's tight, driving rhythm section, with the two singers shouting encouragement and testifying over the top. 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby' showed their ability to handle a slower, more pleading ballad.

The duo split in 1968. Sam Moore continued to perform occasionally under the Sam & Dave name with other singers after Dave Prater's death in 1988. Their Stax recordings, particularly the hits written by Hayes and Porter, have endured through frequent use in films and covers by other artists. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.