A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke

CTL-E-0611 · Work · song · 1964–1964

PROVISIONAL evidence grade of this record

Sam Cooke — Chicago-raised, former Soul Stirrers lead singer — wrote and performed 'A Change Is Gonna Come,' recorded January 30, 1964, at RCA Studios in Hollywood, not Chicago. Released in December 1964, the song became a civil-rights anthem — the clearest case of Chicago gospel training (Cooke's Soul Stirrers years) transmuted into movement music.

Notes

Merged into canonical KG 2026-10-03 from MUSIC-001; source entity IDs: CTL-DR-MUSIC-001:music-001-node-063; source research type(s): song. Description completed 2026-10-03 from the source research record (claims) during the KG completion pass.

Sources

https://bandweblogs.com/blog/2013/04/23/sam-cooke-a-change-is-gonna-come-songwriters-hall-of-fame-award/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Change_Is_Gonna_Come

Record CTL-E-0611 · CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph · evidence grade: PROVISIONAL · 2 sources · CTL research: MUSIC-001.
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Cite as: CultureTechLens, “A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke (CTL-E-0611),” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph, October 2026. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-0611/

Chicago: CultureTechLens. “A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke (CTL-E-0611).” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph. Chicago, IL: CultureTechLens, 2026. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-0611/
APA: CultureTechLens. (2026). A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke (CTL-E-0611) [Entity record]. CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-0611/
MLA: CultureTechLens. “A Change Is Gonna Come — Sam Cooke (CTL-E-0611).” CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph, 2026, https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-0611/

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Shoeshine, 47th Street, Chicago's main Negro business street, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941Photo: Rosskam, Edwin, 1903-1985, FSA-OWI, Public Domain, via Library of Congress

Apartment houses and funeral parlor in Negro section of Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, 1941Photo: Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, FSA-OWI, Public Domain, via Library of Congress

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