Bobby Womack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Womack
Womack performing with Gorillaz in Denmark, 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Robert Dwayne Womack
Born	(1944-03-04)March 4, 1944 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 27, 2014(2014-06-27) (aged 70) Tarzana, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B gospel soul rock and roll doo-wop funk soul blues rock jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1952–2014
Labels	XL Pennant SAR Him Checker United Artists Minit Beverly Glen The Right Stuff Solar MCA Columbia Castle Indigo
Associated acts	The Valentinos Patti LaBelle Sam Cooke George Benson Cecil Womack Womack & Womack Mary Wells Gorillaz Lana Del Rey Sly Stone

Robert Dwayne Womack (March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He began his career in the early 1950s. Bobby Womack was the lead singer of his family's music group, the Valentinos. He also played guitar for the famous singer Sam Cooke.

Womack's career lasted over 60 years. He explored many music styles, including R&B, jazz, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, and gospel. He wrote many songs, including "It's All Over Now" for the Rolling Stones. This song became their first number one hit in the UK. He also wrote "I Can Understand It" for the band New Birth.

As a singer, Bobby Womack was known for hits like "Lookin' for a Love" and "That's the Way I Feel About Cha". Other popular songs include "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Across 110th Street". In the 1980s, he had hits like "If You Think You're Lonely Now".

In 2009, Bobby Womack was honored by being added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Bobby Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in a very poor neighborhood with his four brothers. His older brothers were Friendly Jr. and Curtis. His younger brothers were Harry and Cecil. All five brothers shared a bed. His mother told him he could "sing his way out of the ghetto."

His mother played the organ for the church choir. His father was a steelworker and a part-time minister. He also played gospel music on his guitar. Their father told his sons not to touch his guitar. But the brothers often played it when he was away. One night, eight-year-old Bobby broke a guitar string. He tried to fix it with a shoelace. His father figured out Bobby broke the string. He offered Bobby a chance to play the guitar instead of getting a punishment.

Bobby played many styles, including classical, soul, country, and rock'n'roll. His father was amazed by how good he was. Soon after, his father bought guitars for all five sons. Bobby was left-handed, so he played his guitar upside-down. He didn't know it could be restrung for left-handed players.

Bobby Womack's Music Career

The Womack Brothers and The Valentinos

By the mid-1950s, Bobby was just 10 years old. He toured with his brothers as The Womack Brothers. Their mother played the organ, and their father played guitar. In 1954, they released a song called "Buffalo Bill." More songs followed.

Sam Cooke, a famous singer, saw them perform. He became their guide and helped them go on tour. They toured nationally with The Staple Singers. Bobby often sang alongside his older brother Curtis. Bobby had a rougher, deeper voice, which was different from Curtis's smoother voice. Bobby sometimes acted like a preacher during shows. This later became his nickname. At 16, Bobby left high school to focus on music.

In the early 1960s, Sam Cooke started SAR Records. He signed the group in 1961. They released several gospel songs. Cooke then changed their name to the Valentinos. He moved them to Los Angeles. He convinced them to switch from gospel to soul and pop music. Cooke produced their first hit, "Lookin' for a Love". This song was a pop version of an earlier gospel song. It became an R&B hit. This helped them open for James Brown's tour. Their next hit was "It's All Over Now" in 1964. Bobby helped write this song. The Rolling Stones covered their version, and it became a huge hit.

Bobby Womack also played in Sam Cooke's band from 1961. He toured and recorded with him. Bobby tried to start his solo career in 1965. He recorded for Him Records and later Checker Records. Bobby faced challenges early in his solo career, which made it hard for his music to be played on the radio. He continued to work as a session musician, playing guitar for other artists. Between 1965 and 1968, he toured and recorded with Ray Charles.

Early Solo Success (1967–1972)

Around 1965, Bobby moved to Memphis. He worked at Chips Moman's American Studios. He played guitar on songs for artists like Joe Tex and the Box Tops. Bobby also played guitar on several albums for Aretha Franklin. His songwriting caught the attention of music executives. Wilson Pickett liked some of Bobby's songs and wanted to record them. These included "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love".

In 1968, Bobby signed with Minit Records. He recorded his first solo album, Fly Me to the Moon. He had his first big hit with a cover of "California Dreamin'". In 1969, Womack worked with Gábor Szabó. Together, they wrote the instrumental song "Breezin'", which later became a hit for George Benson. Bobby also worked with rock musicians like Sly and the Family Stone and Janis Joplin. He added vocals and guitar to Sly and the Family Stone's album There's a Riot Goin' On. He also wrote the song "Trust Me" for Janis Joplin's album Pearl. Bobby was one of the last people to see Janis Joplin before she passed away.

After two more albums with Minit, Bobby changed record labels. He signed with United Artists. With his album Communication, he changed his style. This album gave him his first top 40 hit, "That's the Way I Feel About Cha". It reached number two on the R&B charts in 1972.

Continued Solo Success (1972–1989)

After Communication, Bobby released two more albums in 1972. The first was Understanding. It included the song "I Can Understand It". This song was later covered by the funk band New Birth. The album also had two hit singles: "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Harry Hippie". "Woman's Gotta Have It" became Bobby's first number one hit on the R&B charts. "Harry Hippie" became his first single to be certified gold.

Another hit album was the soundtrack for the film Across 110th Street. The title track became popular in 1972. It was later used in the opening and closing scenes of the 1997 film, Jackie Brown. In 1973, Bobby released another hit album, Facts of Life. He had a top 40 hit with "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out".

In 1974, Bobby released his most successful single of this time. It was a new version of his first hit, "Lookin' for a Love". His solo version was even more successful than the original with the Valentinos. It became his second number one hit on the R&B chart. It also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This was his only song to reach that high on the pop chart. The song was on the album Lookin' for a Love Again.

Bobby's career slowed down after his brother Harry passed away. He continued to record albums with United Artists in 1975 and 1976. But these albums were not as successful. In 1975, Bobby worked with The Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood. In 1976, Bobby organized a concert to raise money for his friend, singer Jackie Wilson. Jackie Wilson had suffered a heart attack.

Bobby struggled with his own recordings in the late 1970s. But he kept working with other artists. After his son Truth Bobby passed away in 1978, Bobby started a production company called Truth. He released the album Roads of Life in 1979.

In 1981, Bobby signed with Beverly Glen Records. He had his first R&B top 10 single in five years with "If You Think You're Lonely Now". It reached number three on the R&B singles chart. His album The Poet reached number one on the R&B album charts. This album is seen as a high point in his career. He had two more R&B top 10 singles in the 1980s. These included a duet with Patti LaBelle, "Love Has Finally Come at Last" (1984).

Later Career and Collaborations (1990–2014)

Bobby Womack's solo career slowed down after 1994. In the mid-1990s, he released his twentieth album, Resurrection. This album included famous musicians like Rod Stewart and Keith Richards. His brothers from the Valentinos also sang background vocals.

Bobby mostly focused on working with other artists for the next ten years. He sang on June Yamagishi's album My Pleasure. He also worked with Allen Toussaint. He contributed vocals to Rae & Christian's version of "Wake Up Everybody". Other collaborations included songs with Diane Schuur and Shirley Brown.

In 1989, Womack sang on Todd Rundgren's song "For the Want of a Nail." In 1998, he performed "Summertime" with The Roots. This was for an album that raised money for charities fighting AIDS.

In October 1992, Bobby held four tribute concerts for his friend Eddie Kendricks. Bobby planned the concert before Kendricks passed away from lung cancer. Bobby was the main performer. Other singers like Chaka Khan and Mary Wilson also performed.

In 2010, Bobby Womack wrote lyrics and sang on "Stylo" with Mos Def. This was the first song from the third Gorillaz album Plastic Beach. Bobby was told to sing whatever he felt during the recording. He also sang on other Gorillaz songs like "Cloud of Unknowing."

A new album, The Bravest Man in the Universe, was released in 2012. It was produced by Damon Albarn. Bobby Womack also sang a duet with Van Morrison called "Some Peace of Mind" in 1991. He collaborated with the group Rudimental on their song "New Day."

Bobby Womack's last concert was on June 14, 2014. It was at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee.

Musical Legacy and Influence

Many of Bobby Womack's songs have been covered by other artists. Besides The Rolling Stones' famous version of "It's All Over Now", Patti Drew and Bill Withers also recorded it. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, other artists regularly recorded his songs. These included Ella Washington and Jerry Butler. One of his most famous songs, "Trust Me", was recorded by Janis Joplin.

Bobby Womack's songwriting was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote songs alone or with others like Darryl Carter. While working with Wilson Pickett, he often contributed songs. These included the original version of "I'm In Love", later covered by Aretha Franklin.

In later decades, artists like Millie Jackson and New Birth covered his songs. George Benson had a hit with the instrumental "Breezin'", which Bobby co-wrote. The British singer Rod Stewart used a part of Bobby's song "Put Something Down On It" in his hit "Do Ya Think ...". Other important artists who recorded Bobby Womack's songs include Georgie Fame and Kelly Rowland.

Jodeci's K-Ci Hailey covered "If You Think You're Lonely Now" in 1994. He covered "A Woman's Gotta Have It" in 2006. Mariah Carey's song "We Belong Together" mentions Bobby Womack. She sings, "Bobby Womack's on the radio / Singing to me: 'If you think you're lonely now.'"

Film director Quentin Tarantino used "Across 110th Street" in his 1997 film Jackie Brown. Bobby's music has been used in other popular films too. These include Meet the Parents (2000) and American Gangster (2007).

In 2009, Calvin Richardson recorded a tribute album to Bobby Womack. It was called Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack. This album was nominated for a Grammy.

Personal Life

Bobby Womack had six children. Two of his children passed away before him.

On February 26, 1965, Bobby Womack tried to marry Barbara Cooke, who was the widow of Sam Cooke. Bobby was 20, and Barbara was 10 years older. Their marriage was seen as a big scandal by some in the music world. Bobby's brothers and audiences turned against him. Sam Cooke's family was also very upset. Bobby and Barbara separated in 1970 and divorced in 1971.

Bobby married his second wife, Evelyn Evans, when he was 29. She was his personal secretary.

On December 31, 1975, Bobby married his third wife, Regina Banks. She was 19. They had three children together. Regina left him in the early 1990s. They later remarried in 2013.

Death

Bobby Womack passed away at his home in Tarzana, California. He was 70 years old. He was cremated, and his ashes were placed at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Awards and Nominations

In 2009, Bobby Womack was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, his original vocal group, The Valentinos (his brothers), were not inducted with him.

In 2011, Bobby Womack received his first Grammy nomination. It was for Best Short-Form Music Video for the song "Stylo." He shared this nomination with Mos Def and Gorillaz.

Discography