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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWOMACK, Bobby(b 4 March 1944, Cleveland OH; d 27 June 2014) Singer, songwriter, guitarist. Formed gospel group with brothers Cecil, Curtis, Harry and Friendly. They toured with Sam Cooke; he signed them to his Sar label when they went secular; as the Valentinos they made legendary R&B tracks 'It's All Over Now' (written by Bobby and Shirley Womack; covered by the Rolling Stones) and 'Lookin' For A Love' (by James Alexander and Zelda Samuels; no. 8 R&B '62; covered by J. Geils Band). Also recorded as the Lovers, split up when Cooke died; Bobby became a session guitarist, worked for Wilson Pickett, wrote Pickett's hits 'I'm A Midnight Mover' and 'I'm In Love'; he went solo, had nine chart LPs and single hits on Minit, Liberty, then United Artists, where he did better in the soul chart, also made pop top 40 with 'That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha', 'Harry Hippie', 'Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out' '71-3; revived 'Lookin' For A Love' for top ten hit '74; had less luck on Columbia and Arista; came back to the soul chart with no. 1 LP The Poet on Beverly Glen label, including a no. 3 soul hit 'If You Think You're Lonely Now' '81; also sequels: The Poet 2 '84 (included his first UK hit 'Tell Me Why' and duet with Patti LaBelle 'Love Has Finally Come At Last'). He also sang on Wilton Felder hits (see Crusaders) 'Inherit The Wind' '80, '(No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still Be Looking Up To You' '85, both top three in the black chart. The Soul Of Bobby Womack: Stop On By '97 on EMI/UA was a good hits compilation; two-CD Very Best Of and three-CD The Poet Trilogy were on Charly UK. Bobby was married for a while to Cooke's widow, Barbara; Cecil Womack to Mary Wells. Cecil and Mary divorced; he married Cooke's daughter Linda and Mary married Curtis. Harry was shot dead by a jealous girlfriend who found a woman's clothes in his closet; they belonged to Bobby's girlfriend. Cecil and Linda as Womack and Womack wrote hits for Teddy Pendergrass, George Benson, etc; their own 'Love Wars' was top 20 UK hit '84, title track of Elektra LP; after differences with producer Stuart Levine in London they recorded for Manhattan, but Radio M.U.S.I.C. Man '90 came out on Elektra. Their Conscience on a 4th and Broadway label was greeted as a return to form, sounding as if it was produced by humans. Bobby's albums included So Many Rivers '85, Womagic '86, The Last Soul Man '87 (three tracks remixed from Womagic), all on MCA; others included Soul Survivor '87 on EMI America. There were compilations and reissues on MCA, Razor and Tie, The Right Stuff. After personal vicissitudes Bobby made a comeback in 2012 with The Bravest Man In The World 2012, with Damon Albarn of the UK band Gorillaz, and producer Richard Russell, who also ran Bobby's new label; the new album showed that he wanted to be open to new influences. But he was more influential himself and more highly regarded within the music business than his commercial success would indicate. |