- Born
- Died
- Birth nameBobby Dwayne Womack
- Nicknames
- The Preacher
- The Poet
- A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bobby Womack was born into a musical family. Managed by their father, he and his brothers formed "The Womack Brothers", a gospel singing group that toured with several national gospel stars. "The Womack Brothers" caught the attention of the legendary Sam Cooke when Cooke was singing on the gospel circuit. When Cooke formed his own record label, Sar Records, he immediately signed Bobby and his brothers. In 1962, they were renamed "The Valentinos" and had their first R&B hit single "Lookin' For A Love". Although he continued to record with his brothers throughout the 1960s, Womack began playing guitar in Sam Cooke's band until Cooke's untimely death in 1964. Without the stewardship of Cooke, however, "The Valentinos" floundered and split up, subsequently beginning Bobby Womack's solo career. Although he had mediocre commercial success as a recording artist throughout the 1960s, he had considerable success as a composer and arranger for R&B/Pop artists such as Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex and Dusty Springfield. He would eventually recorded a string of hits of his own from 1971 through 1976. Among them were "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and a newly arranged version of "Lookin' For A Love". His career slumped during the Disco era as his earthy and soulful vocals were suddenly out of vogue. Nevertheless, he returned triumphant in the early 1980s with the recording of the album entitled "The Poet" on which he delivered what has become his signature composition and recording "If You Think You're Lonely Now". His 1972 composition and recording of the song "Across 110th Street"--which was originally recorded for the movie of the same name--resurfaced as the theme for the feature film Jackie Brown (1997). Ironically, the film's star, Pam Grier, had been a back-up singer for Womack when she was a coed at UCLA. Considered by critics and fans alike to be one of the last great "Soul" men, Womack continues to record and perform, and has maintained a devoted following throughout the world.- IMDb Mini Biography By: L. J. Allen-2
- Bobby Womack is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1960s as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career spanned more than 60 years and multiple styles, including R&B, rock and roll, soul, doo-wop, and gospel.
Bobby Womack was a prolific songwriter who wrote and originally recorded, (with his brothers, the Valentinos), The Rolling Stones' first UK number one hit, "It's All Over Now" and The New Birth's "I Can Understand It". As a singer, he is most notable for the hits "Lookin' for a Love", "That's the Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street", and his 1980s hits "If You Think You're Lonely Now" and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much".
In 2009, Bobby Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
- SpousesRegina Womack(December 31, 1975 - ?) (divorced, 3 children)Barbara Campbell Cooke(March 5, 1965 - April 1971) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenVincent Dwayne WomackTruth WomackBobby Truth WomackCory WomackJordan Womack
- ParentsFriendly Womack
- RelativesFriendly Womack(Sibling)Curtis Womack(Sibling)Harry Womack(Sibling)Cecil D. Womack(Sibling)Meech Wells(Niece or Nephew)Noel Wells(Niece or Nephew)Shorty Wells(Niece or Nephew)
- His wife, Barbara, was the widow of the singer/producer Sam Cooke (murdered December 11, 1964). Sam and Barbara Cooke's daughter, Linda M. Womack, married Cecil D. Womack, Bobby's brother. So Bobby became his brother's stepfather-in-law and the brother-in-law of his stepdaughter Linda Cooke Womack; the songwriting team known as "Womack & Womack" is comprised of husband-and-wife Cecil D. Womack and Linda M. Womack.
- One of the last people to see Janis Joplin alive, having visited her at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood, California hours before she passed.
- His first child, son Vincent D. Womack with his then-wife Barbara Campbell-Cooke (Sam Cooke's widow) was born on October 1, 1966 in Los Angeles. He was named after Sam's and Barbara's son who accidentally drowned in a swimming pool at 18 months in 1963. Vincent committed suicide in 1988 at age 21 in front of his mother Barbara in her living room because he was despondent that his girlfriend had left him.
- Son of Naomi Womack.
- Brother of Curtis Womack and Friendly Womack.
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