INFORMATION FOR
A Change Is Gonna Come, a concert that depicts the life and music of the “Legend of Soul” Sam Cooke, will be performed live in the Shea Center for Performing Arts on the William Paterson University campus in Wayne, NJ on Friday, February 11, 2022.
The performance will start at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for orchestra and $20 for loge seating.
The legendary Cooke, considered a pioneer of modern soul whose music led to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Stevie Wonder, among others, is brought to life by the dazzling performance of Bradd Marquis.
A musician, actor, producer, educator, and social activist, Marquis performs Cooke’s music to narrate a historical time loaded with lessons about life, self-empowerment, and social change, transporting you to the beginning of the soul musician’s early career, through his rise as a pop icon, up until his tragic death in 1964 after dedicating his life to social activism.
Marquis will perform some of Cooke’s greatest hits, including You Send Me, Only Sixteen, Cupid, Chain Gang, Twistin the Night Away, A Change is Gonna Come, Wonderful World, to name a few, beginning with the gospel music that formed the foundation of the singer’s career.
After graduating with a degree in African American studies from the University of Cincinnati, Marquis has worked for over a decade in social service and educational sectors both professionally and personally, volunteering his time to empower young people. With his love and gift of music, Marquis has pursued a career in entertainment hoping to inspire young people to overachieve.
Marquis, who has performed on television shows such as Showtime at the Apollo, Apollo Live and had multiple guest spots on BET’s 106 & Park, where he was named Soul Singer of the Year, is backed by a live and soulful big band during the performance.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact William Paterson University’s Shea Center Box Office at boxoffice@wpunj.edu, call 973.720.2371 or visit www.wp-presents.org.
