Bradd Marquis has performed The Music of Sam Cooke since 2009, a full period-style production with a live 10-piece band that plays halls such as Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and the Charleston Music Hall. TSE’s featured Sam Cooke tribute is Carla Cooke, Sam Cooke’s daughter, and Bradd Marquis is the bookable alternate TSE’s booking team recommends when scale, routing, or format point his way.
Strongest fit for: Bradd Marquis is the stronger fit for large performing arts centers, college series, and buyers who want a full big-band production, with especially efficient routing through Texas and the Southeast. Carla Cooke is the stronger fit when family authenticity is the priority, for intimate theaters and cabaret rooms, and for heritage programs with a Q&A. TSE’s booking team will recommend the best fit based on your event details.
Sam Cooke led The Soul Stirrers before crossing over with “You Send Me,” a #1 pop hit in 1957, and placed more than two dozen songs in the Top 40. He was part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first class in 1986, and “A Change Is Gonna Come” remains one of the defining songs of the civil rights era.
The Music of Sam Cooke is built for large stages. Buyers get:
Bradd Marquis is a recording artist in his own right, with three studio albums including Finding My Way, Authentic, and Thank You, and his latest project, I Choose You. He grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, in a household where Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Donny Hathaway were constant influences, and he approaches the show as a celebration of Cooke’s music rather than an imitation.
The show has played Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Eisemann Center in Richardson, the Charleston Music Hall, the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre in New Braunfels, Memorial City Hall in Marshall, the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville, City Winery Philadelphia, Polk State College, and William Paterson University.
2026 marks 95 years since Sam Cooke’s birth, and his music continues to find new audiences. A full big-band production is the way to present the catalog with the scale it deserves.
Bradd Marquis has toured The Music of Sam Cooke for more than 15 years, returning to Texas regularly and anchoring MLK Day and Black History Month programming at major performing arts centers.
Sam Cooke combined gospel fervor with pop craftsmanship and helped create soul music, while also becoming one of the first Black artists to control his own label and publishing.
Bradd Marquis is a New Jersey soul singer-songwriter who created The Music of Sam Cooke in 2009. Backed by a 10-piece band, the production has become a fixture at performing arts centers nationwide, especially in Texas.
For presenters who want a full-scale concert event built around Sam Cooke’s catalog, this production delivers the sound and the spectacle.
While this is our top Sam Cooke tribute act, TSE Entertainment works with a range of high-quality Sam Cooke tributes nationwide.
That means you are not locked into a single option. We help match the right act to your event based on practical factors that actually affect success.
We have booked hundreds of tribute acts nationwide, and every option we recommend is vetted and event-proven. If Bradd Marquis is not the perfect fit, we will quickly suggest comparable options that are.
Pricing for The Music of Sam Cooke depends on date, location, band configuration, and production needs.
MLK Day and Black History Month dates book well in advance. Contact TSE’s booking team for a current quote and availability.
No. TSE’s featured Sam Cooke tribute is Carla Cooke, Sam Cooke’s daughter. Bradd Marquis is a bookable alternate, and TSE’s booking team recommends him for large-scale productions and Texas and Southeast routing.
Bradd Marquis presents a full 10-piece period production suited to large halls. Carla Cooke offers a family-led concert with personal stories about her father.
Yes. The show has anchored MLK Day programming at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and fits heritage and education programs well.
Yes. A gospel segment honors Sam Cooke’s years with The Soul Stirrers.
Pricing depends on date, location, and production needs. Contact TSE’s booking team at 800-765-8203 for a current quote.
Ready to bring The Music of Sam Cooke to your stage? Call TSE Entertainment at 800-765-8203 or use the button below.
