Bobby Womack (1944-2014)
Bobby Womack, an outstanding singer, musician and songwriter, whose gruff baritone, gospel-inspired hollers and remarkable sense of storytelling inspired countless musicians and fans, passed away yesterday. He was 70.
Womack’s passing happened at a point comes as he was enjoying a new wave of success. He had performed a spirited set at Bonnaroo Music & Festival and in the midst of recording a follow up to his critically acclaimed 2012 album The Bravest Man In The Universe.
Born in 1944, Womack was the third of five children, all sons. His mother Naomi was the church organist and his father, Friendly Womack, was a minister and musician. Against his father’s instructions, a young Bobby picked up his father’s guitar while he was away – and promptly broke a string. Rather than punish his son, Friendly replaced the string with a shoelace and asked Bobby to play for him. Friendly quickly noticed that Bobby – and all of his sons – had talent and quickly formed The Womack Brothers. The group quickly became popular on the gospel circuit and attracted the attention of Sam Cooke. Cooke would take the group under his wing and signed them to his fledgling label, SAR Records in 1961. After their gospel singles failed to chart, Cooke advised the group to change their name and – against their father’s wishes – record secular material. Now called The Valentinos, they quickly scored a hit with ‘Lookin’ For A Love’, which sold over 2 million copies. The group was prepared to go to the next level with their follow-up, a song co-written by Bobby, called ‘It’s All Over Now’. The song was starting to make chart traction when The Rolling Stones – against Bobby’s wishes – quickly released their own version. The Stones version became their first Number 1 on the UK charts and their first hit in the States while The Valentinos’ rendition only charted for 2 weeks. But Womack wasn’t happy about it, but quickly changed his mind when he got his first of many royalty checks. It set up financially for decades.
When Sam Cooke was shot and killed in an L.A. motel room in December 1964, Womack was devastated. He lost a close friend who pushed The Valentinos in a pop direction and championed Bobby to be its principal lead singer. Womack was also a featured guitarist in Cooke’s touring band. It was during this period of grief where Womack became involved in one of rock n roll’s earliest scandals. He accompanied Cooke’s widow, Barbara, to the funeral wearing one of Sam’s suits. Three months later, they were married. These events made Womack a pariah among many in the rock and R&B circles. This, coupled with the dissolution of The Valentinos and SAR Records, put Womack’s career in jeopardy.
Enter Comeback #1.
Womack would spend a few years touring and recording in Ray Charles’ band before becoming a noted session guitarist. He worked extensively at Chips Moman’s American Studios in Memphis, playing on seminal recordings by Elvis Presley (Suspicious Minds), Aretha Franklin (Rock Steady), Dusty Springfield (Son of a Preacher Man), and The Box Tops (The Letter). Womack began a fruitful creative relationship with Wilson Pickett, who scored several hits with Womack-penned songs including ‘I’m a Midnight Mover’ and ‘I’m In Love’. The session/songwriting work continued well into the 70’s: Collaborating with Sly Stone on his seminal album There’s A Riot Goin’ On; writing and playing guitar on ‘Trust Me’ on Janis Joplin’s final album Pearl and co-writing the future George Benson hit ‘Breezin’ with jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo.
But despite all of his success behind the scenes, Bobby Womack was itching to get back on stage and recording again. He signed a solo deal with the New Orleans-based Minit label and got his first hit with a soulful version of ‘California Dreamin’. When he switched to United Artists, he came with a new sound: Gritty vocals up front, gut bucket band with splashes of lush orchestration underneath. The hits came quickly: ‘That’s The Way I Feel About Cha’, ‘I Can’t Understand It’, ”Woman’s Gotta Have It’, ‘Harry Hippie’, his own version of ‘Lookin’ For A Love’, ‘Daylight’, ‘You’re Welcome, Stop On By’, and the title track to the 1972 film ‘Across 110th Street’. All of this by the time he was 30 years old. Bobby Womack was among the musical elite.
But once again, another scandal, then tragedy. His marriage to Barbara Cooke ended when she found out that he was having an affair with his step-daughter Linda. His brother Harry was stabbed to death a girlfriend. Then, Womack lost his four month old son Truth, in a crib-related. Womack, already no stranger to drugs and alcohol, partied even harder. It began to affect the work in studio and on staged. The hits stopped coming. In a three year span, Womack was dropped by three labels in a three year span. It seemed the run was over.
Enter Comeback #2.
In 1981, Womack, desperate to get back on track, signed to the small Beverly Glen label. The single, ‘If You Think You’re Lonely Now’, a vintage slab of 70s soul that worked was vintage Bobby Womack. Part kiss off, part confessional and all brilliant, the song was a monster hit in the States and Europe, peaking at # 3 on the R&B charts. The subsequent album The Poet, is considered his greatest work and that too, had a long chart run. The follow up, The Poet II, featured a hair raising duet with Patti LaBelle: ‘Love Has Finally Come At Last”. Another hit single and album. Womack would also add his distinctive vocals on ‘Sun City’ as part of Artists United Against Apartheid album and on ‘For The Want Of A Nail’, a return to form duet with Todd Rundgren.
But the success would be short-lived.
Despite making the most improbable of musical comebacks, Womack’s addictions – namely cocaine – took hold. It would take years before he would face his demons and get sober. Womack continued to write, perform and record throughout the 90s, but it looked as though his days as a consistent hitmaker were past him.
Enter Comeback #3.
Hip hop artists started to sample Bobby Womack records and artists such as The Roots, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross cited him a primary influence. Womack would team up with The Roots to record a version of ‘Summertime’ for The Red Hot + Rhapsody compilation album. Quentin Tarentino used ‘Across 110th Street’ to bookend his 1997 blaxpliotation homage Jackie Brown, introducing the song – and Bobby Womack – to a new generation of fans. It was also featured in the 2007 Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe film American Gangster. Mariah Carey references ‘If You Think You’re Lonely Now’ in her #1 hit, ‘We Belong Together’ and K-Ci Haley of the R&B group Jodeci had a solo hit with a full on remake. In 2008, Womack was asked by long time Womack fan Damon Albarn to collaborate on the next Gorillaz album. Womack never heard of the group and was initially unsure about working with him. However, his daughter was huge fan and convinced him to do it. One of the results was ‘Stylo’, an electro-funk jam that cracked the alternative charts. Womack would tour with Gorillaz and appear on the follow up album The Fall exposing him to a brand new fan base. In 2012, Womack released The Bravest Man In The Universe, his first album in nearly 12 years and his first album of new material since 1994. Produced by Albarn and XL Recordings label chief Richard Russell, the album marked a new creative and musical chapter. Womack’s voice is, as always front and center, but surrounded by atmospheric electronic beats, light piano and acoustic guitars. The plan worked: The colder the production became, the more of Womack’s soul came out. The Bravest Man In The Universe was a critical and artistic triumph.
Various health issues, including diabetes, heart trouble, colon and prostate cancer and pneumonia plagued Womack in recent years, but he remained active touring and was putting the finishing touches on his next album, The Best Is Yet To Come, which he called ‘a labor of love’. No word on a release date, but the album is said to feature collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Ronald Isley, Rod Stewart, Snoop Dogg, and Damon Albarn, among others.
A singer, songwriter and musician of the highest caliber, the life and legacy of Bobby Womack will live for those who love music with heart and soul.
Rest in peace Bobby…
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