Something Went Wrong Before Sam Cooke Walked Onstage at the Apollo. The Crowd Never Knew.

There is a photograph taken in the wings of the Harlem Apollo Theater before a Sam Cooke performance. He is alone, facing the stage, in his suit. What the photograph does not show is what happened in the two hours before that moment. In this video, we look at what it took to make the crossing — from the dressing room to the stage at the Apollo — on a night when everything backstage had been difficult. What Sam Cooke's gospel training gave him that no amount of professional experience could replace. And why the people in the wings that night said the show was one of the best they had ever seen him give. 0:00 — The photograph from the Apollo wings 2:30 — What performing at the Apollo actually required 5:00 — What happened backstage that night 8:00 — The crossing: from the dressing room to the stage 10:30 — What the audience received — and what they never knew