Samuel Gooden (September 2, 1934 – August 4, 2022) was an American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

singer. He was best known for being an original member of the successful 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted R&B group

The Impressions The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul. The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Bro ...

, from its beginnings as The Roosters in the 1950s. Though often uncredited, his smooth voice can often be heard trading lines with lead singer

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

(most notably on "It's All Right") or his replacement,

Leroy Hutson Leroy Hutson (born June 4, 1945) is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of R&B vocal group The Impressions. His music concerns '70s soul, as noted in the June 2 ...

, on quite a number of songs. Gooden also sang lead vocals on a handful of Impressions tunes, such as "Aware Of Love" and the group's cover of "

I Wanna Be Around "I Wanna Be Around" is a popular song. In the lyrics, the singer declares that he "wants to be around" when the woman who spurned him inevitably gets her heart broken. The song is credited to Sadie Vimmerstedt and Johnny Mercer. Origins Vimme ...

". Gooden and the group recorded and performed until his death in 2022. He was inducted with the group in 1991 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Gooden can be seen with original Impressions members Fred Cash and

(via archive footage) in the group's first-ever extended interview in the 2008 DVD ''Movin On Up – The Message and The Music of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions'', which also features a special poem dedicated to the group written and performed by actor

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit " Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals '' Two Gentlemen of Vero ...

. Gooden died of heart attack in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...

, on August 4, 2022, at the age of 87. his wife revealed that he had heart attack

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* * 1934 births 2022 deaths Singers from Tennessee People from Chattanooga, Tennessee African-American musicians American soul musicians The Impressions members American basses 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people {{US-singer-stub