Dave Prater
The powerful, gritty baritone voice who, alongside Sam Moore, defined the explosive call-and-response energy of Southern soul with Sam & Dave.
1937–1988 (age 51)·American singer·Birthday: May 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dave Prater was the steady, soulful engine in one of music's most dynamic duos. Born in Georgia, he sang in church before meeting the flamboyant Sam Moore in a Miami club in 1961. Their partnership was alchemical: Moore's soaring, preacher-like cries played off Prater's deeper, grounded baritone, creating a thrilling tension. Signed to Stax Records, they became the premier act for the songwriting and production team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, who crafted their iconic hits. Prater's voice provided the solid foundation for anthems like 'Hold On, I'm Comin'' and 'Soul Man,' songs that became the very backbone of 1960s soul. Their live performances were legendary for their sheer physicality and sweat-drenched passion. While personal tensions and Prater's struggles later fractured the partnership, his vocal contribution remains immortal, a fundamental component of the sound that earned them the title 'The Dynamic Duo.'
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dave was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1988Died at 51
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
Key Achievements
- Won a Grammy Award in 1967 for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance for 'Hold On, I'm Comin''.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of Sam & Dave.
- The classic hit 'Soul Man' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
- Performed the iconic song 'Soul Man' with Sam Moore on the soundtrack for the 1967 film 'The Blues Brothers'.
- With Sam Moore, scored multiple gold records and topped the R&B charts throughout the mid-to-late 1960s.
Did You Know?
Before teaming with Sam Moore, Prater worked as a short-order cook and recorded a few minor solo singles.
He and Moore had a famously tumultuous relationship and often did not speak offstage during their peak years.
Prater continued to tour with a replacement 'Sam' under the Sam & Dave name after the duo officially split.
He died in a car accident in Sycamore, Georgia, just days before a scheduled performance.
The duo's music was a major influence on the Blues Brothers, who helped reintroduce them to a new generation.
“Sam was the lightning; I tried to be the solid ground.”
