They Killed A King is Moore’s latest musical endeavor, recorded at Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios, where Anne Peebles and Al Green cut their hit records back in the day, during the 2014 MLK holiday weekend, and is being officially released April 4 to honor Dr. King’s memory and remind us all of his important message. April 4, as we know, marks the unfortunate anniversary of the loss by assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Moore’s participation in this project has an extra note of importance.
Moore knew and traveled with Dr. King, performing with duo partner Dave at many of Dr. King’s speeches and rallies in both the north and south. “Sam and Dave” actually served as an opening act, setting the crowds up for Dr. King to take the pulpit or stage and preach his message during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960′s.
“I am from the era, I’m a real live living witness to one of the greatest, if not the greatest, positive social changes in all recorded American history because of Dr. King’s leadership and efforts,” Sam Moore says. “I am troubled that all that Martin worked so hard to accomplish is suddenly reversing. I hope that this song might have some impact to remind us of what Martin lost his life over, that his goal of ending the separatism by color was so that all of us could have the equal opportunity to achieve. I recently heard a 1964 interview of Dr. King, who explained that his goal was “inclusion” not “exclusion.” He was very clear about that and went on to say the “revolution,” at that moment in history, was not what one would generally think of – there was no intent to overthrow a government, no violence, but rather it was about being allowed in to participate in what had been written at the time our great country was created, that being participation in what it was understood America stood for.”