Bobby Dwayne Womack He was born on March 4, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose emotional creations and musicianship established him as one of the most respected rhythm and blues (R&B) performers of the late 20th century.
One of five brothers, Womack grew up in Cleveland. When they were children, their father, a steel worker and amateur singer, organized them into an evangelical vocal group called Womack brothers. In 1953, the group opened the performance of the gospel group the Soul Stirrers and impressed one of its members, Sam Cooke. When Cooke made his transition to secular pop music, he persuaded the Womacks to do the same. Signing on Cooke’s record label under the name of Valentines, the quintet, with Bobby As lead vocalist, he scored modest R&B hits with “Lookin ‘for a love“(1962) e”It’s all over now“(1964). The last song, written by Bobby, gained further exposure through a contemporary version of The Rolling Stones.
After Cooke’s sudden death in 1964, Womack He attempted a solo career but faltered amid widespread disapproval of having married Cooke’s widow in early 1965. (They divorced in 1971). For a time he worked as a session guitarist, playing classic records from artists such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. He also wrote songs for other artists, especially soul singer Wilson Pickett.
Womack finally debuted as a solo artist with the album Fly me to the moon (1968), presenting a daring interpretation of “California Dreamin“from the Mamas and the Papas. He refined his sound, which integrated deeply heartfelt vocals and slender guitar work, on the albums Communication (1971) and Understanding (1972). These and subsequent recordings were popular primarily with R&B audiences, although some of the solo Womack, like the complainer “That’s the Way I Feel About Cha“(1971) and a”Lookin ‘for a love“(1974) rerecorded, they reached the general public as well. During this period, Womack He also contributed a song to the black exploitation film Across 110th Street (1972) – his soul-funk title song later became one of his best-known cuts – and played guitar on albums by rockers Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone.
Personal problems, including drug addiction, derailed the career of Womack in the mid-1970s, but bounced back with the hit albums The Poet (1981) and The Poet II (1984), the latter with various duets with R&B singer Patti LaBelle. Adhering for the most part to a traditional soul style, he continued to record throughout the ’80s and’ 90s, with notable releases including So many rivers (1985), Resurrection (1994) and a gospel album, Back to My Roots (1999). After a break in the 21st century, Womack came back with The Bravest Man in the Universe (2012), in which his worn voice was accompanied by modern electronic rhythms. The album was co-produced by British musician Damon Albarn, who had previously signed Womack as a guest vocalist on two albums (both from 2010) by his pop band Gorillaz.
Old friend of the Rolling Stones Womack produced a solo album in 1975 for future Stones guitarist Ron Wood, and sang on the band’s Dirty Work (1986). His autobiography, Midnight Move, was published in 2006; Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. He passed away on June 27, 2014 in Tarzana, California.