Harry Womack facts for kids

Harris "Harry" Womack (born June 25, 1945 – died March 9, 1974) was an American singer and musician. He was best known as a member of the family R&B group The Valentinos.

Biography

Early life and music

Harry Womack grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, with his four brothers. They were very close and gave each other nicknames. Harry's nickname was "Goat." The brothers were raised in the Baptist faith. They started singing together when Harry was seven years old. Their group was called The Womack Brothers.

Like his brothers Bobby and Cecil, Harry learned to play instruments. He played the bass guitar before he was a teenager. Harry, Cecil, and Curtis sang tenor vocals. Bobby and Friendly, Jr. sang baritone.

In 1960, when Harry was fifteen, the famous singer Sam Cooke signed the group to his SAR Records label. Sam Cooke promised their father that the brothers would continue to sing gospel music.

Music career

After releasing two gospel songs, Sam Cooke suggested the group change their style and name. In 1962, Cooke renamed them The Valentinos. He helped them create their first big hit song, "Looking for a Love." Bobby Womack was the lead singer on this song.

"Looking for a Love" became a hit. It helped them get a chance to open shows for James Brown. The Valentinos had a few more successful R&B songs. Their next big hit was "It's All Over Now," released in 1964. This song became famous worldwide after The Rolling Stones covered it. Many other bands have covered it since then.

In December 1964, Sam Cooke passed away. His record label, SAR, closed down. Bobby Womack, who had married Sam Cooke's widow, Barbara, left the group to start his own solo career. The Valentinos broke up for a short time.

They regrouped as a quartet in 1966. They signed with Chess Records and recorded "Sweeter than the Day Before." However, they were dropped from Chess after only two songs. Cecil Womack also left the group.

In 1968, Harry, Curtis, and Friendly Jr. signed with Jubilee Records. They recorded "Two Lovers History" before being dropped in 1970.

Harry's role in Bobby's band

In 1970, Harry started playing bass in his brother Bobby's band. Bobby had begun a successful solo career. Harry and the other Valentinos also sang background vocals on Bobby's solo albums. They were featured on Bobby's hit songs like "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" and "Woman's Gotta Have It" in 1972.

In late 1973, Harry and his brothers sang background vocals again for Bobby. They worked on a new version of "Lookin' for a Love." Before that, The Valentinos had a smaller R&B hit with Bobby's song "I Can Understand It." Its success led them to perform on the popular dance show, Soul Train.

Harry was known for his confident stage presence. He could easily make a performance exciting with his smooth bass playing. Off stage, Harry was quiet, warm, and relaxed. He had a good sense of humor. When he wasn't touring, he liked to relax with friends. He also had a pet snake named Wo.

Harry's strong bass playing can be heard on Bobby's 1970 album, The Womack Live - Bobby Womack. His bass lines are especially clear on the song "The Preacher/More Than I Can Stand."

In 1972, Bobby released the album Understanding. This album did well on the music charts. A key song from the album, "I Can Understand It," became a classic soul song. Bobby later produced a version of this song for his brothers, The Valentinos. Harry, Curtis, and Friendly, Jr. sang background vocals on the original version.

Bobby described his brother Harry as "carefree." Bobby's 1973 hit song, "Harry Hippie," was not actually written about Harry. It was a song given to Bobby by his friend, Jim Ford. However, during performances of the song, Harry would do fun dance moves. This made the audience and Bobby laugh.

Harry's last recording was singing background vocals on Bobby's album, Lookin' for a Love Again. This album was released in January 1974. The main song from the album became a hit for the third time.

Death

Harry Womack passed away in 1974. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale).

Bobby Womack performed the song "Harry Hippie" as a tribute to Harry for many years. A week after Harry's death, his last recording on Bobby's song "Lookin' for a Love" became a number-one hit on the R&B chart. It also reached number ten on the pop chart and sold two million copies.