Domingo "Sam" Samudio was born in Dallas on March 6th, 1937 to Spanish-speaking parents of Mexican descent. One of three children, Samudio was primarily raised by his father due to the untimely passing of his mother.
He began singing in the second grade when he was chosen to represent his school in a live radio performance, and began playing the guitar several years later. Following graduation, Samudio joined the Navy and lived in Panama for six years. During his deployment, Samudio often acted as the M.C. during dances and became a crowd favorite due to his onstage antics.
In 1961, Samudio returned home to Texas and enrolled in music history courses at UT Arlington. "I was studying classical in the daytime and playing rock and roll at night," he recalled to Texas Monthly. Inspired by the costumes worn in the film The Ten Commandments, Samudio named his first band the Pharaohs and they adopted the flamboyant style of the Egyptians in the movie. Although this original iteration of the Pharaohs would prove to be short-lived, the ideas that they established laid a foundation for the musical sounds to come.
What Others are Saying
This looks soo good. What a cool guy. Congrats, Sam the Sham.
Excellent job on the site. You got Sam in a nutshell. O, but there’s so much more to the Man. He and I appreciate your work. For
any other information or anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
Hi Sam,
we´re from the german Sam The Sham fan club and we met you 2002 in Stuttgart. I have showed you my special photoalbum with rare photos of you´re band.
You talked with Bodo Kester and me and you had given me after the conversation a fan T-Shirt. I had given you a german magazin about you´re record biography. For us it was an unforgettable night !!!
I have some super rare pictures of you´re show in Hamburg at the Star-Club in 1965. If you´re interested at these pictures, let me know…
I wish you the best !
Greets Fred Gibhardt
Sam, I just listened to your “Hard & Heavy” album. I can’t believe I never heard this before! It’s back to back great rocking tracks. I thought I heard some Allman sound in there and then read you had the pleasure of working with Duane. Very cool. I’m 52 and will be sharing this album and some of your earlier work with my 13 and 16 year old boys who love good music. Just wanted you to know that your music is touching yet another generation! Best, Rick
My father couldn’t stop dancing when that song came on. Probably still listens to it in spirit.
As farm field working kid from Texas I always wondered if Sam the Sham was a Tejano because his music just had that type of flair. Now I know.
did you write little red riding hood?
I had the pleasure of working with Sam from 2006 until 2010. He was a wonderful person and a creative talent that encouraged personal creativity in those he worked with and those around him. I gained a great education and appreciation in music from one of the best and brightest, one of the true forefathers of Memphis Rock & Roll.
Old Is Better than Cold!
God Bless You Sam, Your Company Has Been Sorely Missed…
when we were children, my parents had that wonderful blue sam the sham and the pharoahs album that me & my kid brother played for years. wooly bully may have been your biggest hit, but for us, it was haunted house and the memphis beat songs that we loved the most. i am 58 now, a lifelong guitarist/musician and songwriter who owes a great deal of what i do, to you, the pharoahs and that great music! if its ok to say, thank you, let it be ok to say as well, i love you for the music you brought into my life and the guitar lessons your bandmates gave me by listening to your songs! i always wanted to meet you one day, as well as the guitarist you had on those songs..it would be like meeting van halen. Thank you for some of the best music ever, memories of playing that album, reading the back cover, over and over again… to this day its one of my all time favorite albums as it was one of my earliest introductions into music. God bless you, the Pharoahs and all your families. I can only hope one day you come to central florida.. i would be there in a heart beat to shake your hand, cry, and hopefully give you a hug. i dont want anything except to tell you these words i have written. Thank you Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs … whenever i listen, its like yesterday all over again….
sincerely, all my heart
john c martini
What a thrill to hear my 2 favorites again, “Wooly Booly” and “Lil’ Red Ridin’ Hood”…! With me now nearing 75 years old, it brings me back to my younger days of the ’60s hearing your 2 famous songs! They don’t write them like they use to….Wish you all the best………Roger
Mister Samudio,
A beautiful remembrance: my brother and I travelled to Memphis in 1992 just to meet you. It was a great week. In your car (Dodge?) you showed us the City of Memphis. Some years later we met again, in Antwerp, Belgium where you performed with other sixties-stars like Chris Montez, the Sweet, Mud, Wish you good health and musical inspiration…. Nic and Peter from Holland
When the kids were little they knew there were a couple of things that required dropping any current conversations… They were Warren Zevon’s “Wearewolfs of London” and the formidable “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and his boys. Thanks Mr. Samudio.