Everyday Creation
This show has to do with different kinds of creation: human, divine, and a third kind that connects the two. Our human creativity is easy to talk about because clearly we're prolific creators. We make music, we write, we cook; we establish businesses, we design gardens, we invent things. The list goes on and on. Another kind of creation is divine. We feel its presence when, for example, we contemplate birth, death, our life purpose, or have a quiet realization that there's something bigger than us. The third kind is perhaps a little more difficult to grasp and yet, with a little practice, it's easy to put into action. This is the personal power each of us has to direct our thoughts, words and actions every day toward what we want in our life and world, rather than what we don't want.
This sounds heavier than it is. For me, this show is an acknowledgment that while we're all here to learn and grow and do our best, there's still plenty of opportunity to relax, laugh, love, and enjoy this playground we call life. So my hope is that you'll get some enjoyment and illumination out of these episodes. Here you'll find interviews with delightfully creative individuals; short stories about some who have passed away; and essays about personal power.
I'm Kate Jones, host and creator of Everyday Creation. Thank you for following my show.
Everyday Creation
"Soul Man" Singers Sam & Dave Sang in Harmony but had a Contentious Partnership
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Tenor Sam Moore and baritone David Prater Jr. made beautiful music together, but they fought like cats and dogs. Still, they had more success as a duo than they did when they went their separate ways as solo artists. As Sam & Dave, they had 10 consecutive Top 20 R&B hits and two Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits.
In this tribute to Moore, you can learn the story behind the Sam & Dave partnership including how they decided to form a duo, their turbulent professional relationship and their personal demons. Known as the "sultans of sweat," they were known for their over-the-top performances and recorded successfully at Stax Records in Memphis with Isaac Hayes and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In fact, Hayes co-wrote Sam & Dave's hit "Soul Man." How did Hayes and his co-writer, David Porter, get inspired to write "Soul Man"? You'll learn that in this episode too.
You can go here to listen to the official audio recording of "Soul Man." Or better yet, watch them do the song and check out their pink suits in a 1974 performance.
The black and white photo in the thumbnail is a publicity shot of Sam & Dave taken for a Stax trade ad in Billboard in 1967 to publicize their single "When Something Is Wrong With My Babe." Moore is on the left. The artwork framing two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.
Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.
Sheldon Zoldan:
Sam Moore and David Prater Jr. didn't always live in harmony, but when they were in tune, they made beautiful music. They had 10 consecutive Top 20 R&B hits between 1966 and '69 and two Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Moore died January 10 in Coral Gables, Florida, from complications after surgery. He was 89. Song of the Day is paying tribute to the singers, songwriters and musicians who died in 2025.
Moore, the tenor, and Prater, the baritone, met when Moore was MC at a Miami nightclub and Prater was singing on amateur night. Prater was stumbling through the lyrics, so Moore began feeding him the lines. Prater dropped the microphone, and Moore fell to his knees, catching it. The audience went crazy thinking it was part of the act. They became known as "the sultans of sweat" for their over-the-top performances.
They had their most success recording at Memphis-based Stax Records where they worked with Isaac Hayes and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.
Moore and Prater fought constantly. Moore stopped talking to Prater in 1968 after Prater shot his wife. She survived, and he was not charged. Moore moved to New York in 1970 where he was introduced to a new friend, heroin.
Moore and Prater failed as solo acts and would reunite occasionally. They last played together in 1981. Moore kicked his habit in 1982. Prater died in a car crash in 1988.
Hayes and David Porter wrote "Soul Man." Hayes said he got the idea watching a newscast showing Afro American business owners spraying the word "soul" on their buildings during the Detroit riots. Sam & Dave's version reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "The Blues Brothers" movie revived its popularity. "The song turned out to be an anthem, sort of like 'Blowin' in the Wind' or one of those," Moore told the Library of Congress in a 2002 interview when "Soul Man" was added to the library's national recording registry.
