Sam Cooke
Allen Klein made his reputation in the music business as the tough-nosed manager for soul legend Sam Cooke. In the early 1960s, Klein helped Cooke secure a contract with RCA Records that allowed for Cooke to form his own label and publishing company. But Klein made sure he had an ownership stake in both, and upon Cooke’s death in 1964, Klein became the controller of virtually the singer’s entire catalog.
