Remembering Sam Moore, R&B Legend, at an Intimate Miami Funeral With Guests Gloria Estefan, Larry Little, Michael Bolton

The worst thing you can do is bury a friend, especially one who’s meant a lot in your life.

But on a cold, rainy afternoon in Miami, I was there to say goodbye to R&B legend Sam Moore, who passed away at age 89. Sam was so vibrant and filled with life and humor that his sudden death seems especially cruel.

I wasn’t surprised when the number of expected guests suddenly exceeding the seats at the funeral parlor’s covered outdoor chapel. A call went out for more chairs as the guests piled in including long time friends Gloria and Emilio Estefan, singer Michael Bolton with girlfriend Heather Kerzner, “Gypsy Woman” singer Brian Hyland, friends like Alan Abramson, who came from New York, David Spero, Ted Spero and wife H Leonard, Ray Charles Foundation chief Valerie Ervin, famed rock and roll publicist Joanne Geffen, plus Khalilah Ali — second wife of Sam’s great friend, the Champ, Muhammad Ali, and NFL Miami Dolphin hall of famer Larry Little, whose family grew up with Sam’s in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.

Sam’s wife of 42 years, Joyce, followed a rabbi’s invocation of the Mourner’s Kaddish by speaking about their fabled four decade love affair. She was followed by daughter, Michelle, and grandkids Tash and Misha, all of whom shared hilarious, honest stories about their “Bubba.”

Little — a decade younger than Sam — recalled how their mothers were close friends, and how the athlete looked up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Ali surprised the crowd with a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden in Sam’s name. The award came in a large folding leather cover and was accompanied by a medal that Ali placed around Joyce’s neck. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

At the internment, a 50 piece young people’s choir sang a piece composed by Quincy Jones’s protege, Jacob Collier, that made the little hairs on people’s necks stand at attention. In a nice touch, guests were given the kind of black sunglasses Sam wore during his Sam and Dave days.