Six decades after the King of Soul’s death, his family still screens every request with painstaking care.
> At a Glance
> – Nicole Cooke-Johnson oversees Sam Cooke’s estate through Royalty Firm LLC
> – She says they “say yes very rarely” to protect Cooke’s legacy
> – A children’s book version of A Change Is Gonna Come is her latest approved project
> – Why it matters: Fans hoping to license Cooke’s music or name face one of music’s toughest gatekeeping processes
Nicole Cooke-Johnson, CEO of Royalty Firm LLC, told News Of Los Angeles the job “can be difficult” because a posthumous estate allows little margin for error.
Inside the Approval Process
Cooke-Johnson vets every film, product, or cover request against a simple filter:
- Does it honor Sam Cooke’s ethos?
- Will it introduce his storytelling to younger listeners?
- Are all “X’s crossed and I’s dotted”?
> “We don’t have any room for error,” she said on Books That Changed My Life. “We’re held to a certain level of accountability.”
From Anthem to Picture Book
Last fall she green-lit a children’s adaptation of 1964’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” to reach ages 6-8.
> “The young generation … are asking big questions,” she noted, adding that history lessons need accessible entry points.
Cooke’s Career at a Glance
| Statistic | Number |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 singles | 34 |
| Years recording | 8 |
| Age at death | 33 |
Cooke-Johnson formed Royalty Firm LLC in 2008 with grandmother Barbara, who died in 2021, to manage publishing and brand amplification.
Key Takeaways
- Royalty Firm LLC declines most licensing requests to safeguard Cooke’s legacy
- The children’s book aims to plant Cooke’s activism-minded lyrics early
- Cooke-Johnson views legacy as “passing on what we create to those coming after us”
With each careful “yes,” the family keeps the King of Soul relevant for generations who never saw him perform.
