Stop me if you’ve heard this story before: A musician rises to fame, becomes hooked on drugs, and has his career nearly spiral out of control before being saved by a savvy new romantic partner. While it may be a tale as old as time, or at least as old as pop music, the way this story unfolded was anything but typical in the life and times of Sam Moore, the dynamic soul and R&B artist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee who died this week in Florida at the age of 89.

Samuel Moore was born in Miami on Oct. 12, 1935. Actively involved in music from a young age, participating in his Baptist church’s choir and a gospel group would prove pivotal for him, providing him a unique set of vocal and performative skills that he would put to exhilarating effect in his musical career.