Sam Cooke died at the age of 33 on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel, at 9137 South Figueroa Street, in Los Angeles, California. Answering separate reports of a shooting and of a kidnapping at the motel, police found Cooke's body, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes but no shirt, pants or underwear. He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, which was later determined to have pierced his heart. The motel's manager, Bertha Franklin, said she had shot Cooke in self-defense after he broke into her office residence and attacked her. Her account was immediately questioned and disputed by acquaintances.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Sam CookeSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
| ZZelda SandsSelf | Self |
| AAl SchmittSelf | Self |
| EEugene JamisonSelf | Self |
| BBill GardnerSelf | Self |
 Denise DowseSelf | Self |
| EErik GreeneSelf | Self |
 Cyril WechtSelf - Forensic Pathologist | Self - Forensic Pathologist |
| JJoe B. KellumSelf | Self |
| AAnthony SamadSelf | Self |
 Dick ClarkSelf (archive footage) | Self (archive footage) |
| JJohn AntonelliSelf | Self |
| DDaniel WolffSelf | Self |
| JJamelle DolphinSelf | Self |
| DDonald PiperSelf | Self |
| MMike McCormickSelf | Self |
| TToni Elliott BellSelf | Self |