Remembering Sam Gooden, 1934-2022

Legendary singer and entertainer, Sam Gooden of the world famous Impressions, passed away peacefully Thursday morning August 4, 2022, surrounded by family. Here is the video tribute aired on August 5, on Local 3 News:

Sam Gooden, an original member of the Impressions, and a 1991 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has died just a month shy of his 88th birthday.

Along with fellow Chattanoogan Fred Cash, Sam got his start in Chicago.  Jerry Butler and singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield rounded out the group during most of the 1960s. The group was active for more than five decades, putting their smooth vocals on durable million sellers like “Gypsy Woman,” “It’s Alright,” “Amen,” “People Get Ready” and “Choice of Colors.”  In the years after Butler and Mayfield left the group, Sam and Fred kept recording and touring with various lead vocalists.

The Impressions received almost every  major music award, and in their hometown of Chattanooga they frequently spoke and performed at local high schools as part of the History Makers program. They shared stories with students on their days on the road with Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Gene Chandler, and other rhythm and blues stars, often under difficult circumstances during the civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Near the end of that turbulent decade, the group released many singles and albums reflecting their concerns with the social issues of the era. When most artists were releasing love songs, the Impressions were trailblazers, with many songs centered around the headline stories of racial inequity and social injustice. Years later, artists including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations would follow in their footsteps.

They were also honored with the naming of a portion of Interstate 24 in Chattanooga as “The Impressions Highway,” just a few hundred yards from their alma mater, Howard High School.

At one of their last public appearances in 2019, they were honored with a Tennessee Pathways sign at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in downtown Chattanooga.

Among their most prestigious honors was their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2003, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Sam proudly displayed the multiple awards in his Brainerd-area home, which he shared with Gloria,  his wife of 59 years.

He also showed me a photo of himself and Fred with President Barack Obama in the White House. He said,” He invited us, and it was wonderful.  He told us he was proud of us, and that’s something you never forget.”

The Impressions were also featured on Eric Clapton’s 2001 album “Reptile,” recorded in London.  The group toured all over the world, and Sam enjoyed sharing stories of multiple shows on the road, including a grueling schedule during their final visit to Japan in 2018. “I was 84 years old, and we were doing two shows a night, seven days a week,” he told me. “That’s a lot of time on your feet, but we enjoyed every minute of it.”

Sam and Fred said goodbye to hometown fans in April 2017 at a sold-out show at Chattanooga’s Convention Center. In recent years, Sam’s health declined, as he suffered from breathing difficulties and kidney problems. However, when I visited with him just a week before his death, his smile was bright, his voice was strong, his memory was sharp, and his laughter was loud. The bass voice that anchored so many Impressions hits had not been weathered by time or illness.

Since I first met Sam and Fred more than thirty years ago, they never acted like “stars.” Both humbly expressed appreciation for a lifelong career that allowed them to entertain millions of people.

Sam’s voice  has been stilled, but he leaves behind a loving family, and a legacy of kindness.

Click Here for the obituary for Sam Gooden:

MR. SAMUEL GOODEN – Age 87, of Chattanooga, Tennessee passed away Thursday, August 4, 2022 surrounded by family. He was the eighth child born to the late Reverend George and Ruby Gooden on September 2, 1934. Sam’s formal education was received in the school district of Park City in Rossville, GA and later graduated from Howard High School in Chattanooga, TN. Afterwards, he joined the United States Army where he was a Truck Driver.

In 1957, after serving his country, he began his singing career and took his vision to Chicago, Illinois where he met Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. Realizing they needed someone to take them further in their career they allowed a gentleman by the name Eddie Thomas to take them under his wings as their manager. Eddie persuaded the rising stars to change their name from “The Roosters” to “The Impressions” and the rest is history. For Your Precious Love was released and life for the young gentlemen was never the same.

In 1963, Gloria Driver, a young lady he met in Chicago four years earlier, became his wife and began a loving family. Later they relocated to Chattanooga, TN. In addition to his singing career, he served as a Auxiliary Police Officer for the city of Chattanooga. He was a member of River of Life Church in Rossville, GA. His life as a husband, father, and grandfather gifted him with many rewards and unexpected pleasures; as a member of The Impressions, it too has blessed his life with joyful memories, his faith has brought him through many challenges that presented opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. The 64 years of his career overwhelmed him with gratitude to the industry and the generations of their faithful fans. Sam once stated, “I am motivated to Keep On Pushing until my heart tells me it is time to sit and rest. I love entertaining, seeing the happy faces of those we sing to is a bonus. Singing is my way of spreading love, peace, and hope to a newer generation and telling our faithful followers thank you.”

He is preceded by his parents Rev. George and Ruby Satterwhite Gooden, brothers, Doc Gooden, George Gooden, LaVelle Gooden, Varnell Gooden, sisters, Mae Ruby Blake, Annie Ruth Ross, and Mary M. Scott, son-in-law, John Wade.

He is survived by his loving wife, Gloria Driver Gooden; children, Samuel J. Gooden, Sandra D. (Marvin, Sr.) Hudgins, Gina (Darryl, Sr.) Griffin, and Gloria J. “Spanky” Gooden all of Chattanooga, TN; eleven grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, in-laws, and friends.

A private Memorial Service will take place at a later date. Military Honors and Rites will follow at a later date at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Arrangements by Willis Funeral Home, Inc., Dalton, Georgia.