June 14, 1961 ABC Studios, New York City, NY

PM East / PM West - "Sam Cooke: Phenomenon"

Wednesday, June 14, 1961

Sam’s appearance on this show was the brainchild of Mike Santangelo, a friend of publicity agent Jess Rand. The show aired from ABC Studios in New York City, although it was syndicated. The entire PM East hour was devoted to Sam. Sam's public relations manager, Jess Rand (who essentially scripted the program), along with His RCA producers, Hugo and Luigi, appeared on the show. In addition to interviews with Sam the show featured several selections backed by bassist Cliff White and Panama Francis on drums. Sadly, no film appears to have been saved. In addition, the TV Guide Los Angeles edition does not list the show, so it may not have aired in this market. It definitely was seen in San Francisco on KPIX-TV.