Sam Fletcher born 15 January 1934

Sam Fletcher (born Ira Levi Fletcher, January 15, 1934 – April 25, 1989) was an American singer who recorded in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was called” The Man with the Golden Voice” and was known for his good looks, impeccable showmanship and a voice that reduced listeners to tears. 

Fletcher was born in rural Tennessee and grew up in Memphis. His family were members of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and as a child he would attract church audiences for his singing. After earning a college degree, Sam was called to serve his country in the Korean War. While stationed in Germany, he played in the USO Jazz Band where friends and musical cohorts encouraged him to pursue a career in popular music- a decision opposed by his family and church leaders. Nevertheless, his recording career began on the Metro label in 1958 and after his first two singles came out in 1959 critics compared his style and big baritone voice to those of Roy Hamilton and Al Hibbler. 

After two more singles for Cub, he moved to New York City and married a local beauty, Sharon Lee  then began to make a name for himself. He performed in jazz and supper clubs and appeared in an Off-Broadway production of The Amen Corner. Manager Lee Magid signed him to RCA Victor Records in 1960, and he released further singles, produced by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, including "Tall Hope" (from the musical Wildcat), and his signature song "I Believe In You.” 

                                   

Prior to the release of his first album "I Believe In You" in 1961, the record company moved the family to Los Angeles. His neighbors included Ray Charles and Ike & Tina Turner. Sam and his glamorous wife instantly became “celebrities among celebrities”. Crowds flocked to see the man people were calling” the next Nat Cole” and the black press raved about the city’s new cabaret star. Singer Dinah Shore sought out Fletcher to appear in her television shows. He appeared in her The Best is Yet To Come end-of-season special in 1963, and later on American Bandstand and other television variety shows. In the following years he recorded and performed in the Philippines and toured Europe and Asia. In 1963 he made a single with Warner Bros, and signed for Vee Jay Records in April 1964. 

He skyrocketed to fame as a popular nightclub and cabaret act, and opened for such stars as Phyllis Diller and Mitzi Gaynor that ignited L.A.’s legendary live jazz scene. Southern California’s affluent African-American celebrities and professionals followed him to legendary rooms like The Memory Lane, The Pied Piper, The Casbah and Page 4. He reigned over the so-called” Mink Coat crowd” which were L.A.’s well- heeled, martini-swilling Black glitteratti during America’s period of social upheaval. He was a glamorous figure who carried himself with class and style. He was the country boy who made good. 

Continuing to appear on shows presented by both Dinah Shore and Della Reese, Fletcher recorded his second album, The Look of Love – The Sound of Soul, a collection of jazz standards and other songs including "God Only Knows", arranged by Harry Betts, for Vault Records in 1967. With a growing family, he was also enjoying a squeaky- clean image that appealed to both Black and White America. When the news broke in December of 1967 that he was found with heroin on an international flight, fans were shocked and saddened. In spite of being groomed for mainstream success, Sam fell into the stereotype of the addicted jazz musician. 

He went into rehabilitation and attempted to revive his career. The early seventies found Sam doing occasional TV shows and gigs at local venues that once featured his name in bright lights. Disco music replaced Soul and L.A.’s glamorous rooms quickly faded from popularity. During this period, his most high-profile gigs were performing at heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali’s wedding and appearing in a BET documentary about jazz performers. He also rediscovered his love for education and began teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District. He found a second and fulfilling life as a popular middle and high school teacher. When a mugging left him injured in the early eighties, a benefit was thrown for him that featured O.C. Smith, Reynaldo Ray, Maxine Weldon and the great Esther Philips. 

Sam Fletcher passed away at the age of 55, in Los Angeles April 25, 1989  after a brief illness. The Los Angeles service was attended by stunned friends and fans including Della Reese and Lou Rawls. He was buried in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee with full military honors. Sam left behind a legacy of music and a performing that recalled a bygone era of class and sophistication. His fans still marvel at the memory of an artist who approached greatness and made “everyone in the room” feel glamorous. After his death, an old Tollie single, “I’d Think It Over” took hold of London and helped ignite the city’s Northern Soul scene. 

(Edited from Wikipedia & Funk My Soul)