Died On This Date (June 27, 2014) Bobby Womack / American Soul Legend
themusicsover Bobby Womack
March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014
Bobby Womack is widely considered one of the greatest R&B singers and songwriters the world has ever known. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Womack began his career singing in the family group, the Womack Brothers. Legend has it that when he was just eight years old, he broke a string on his father’s guitar, so the elder Womack replaced it with a shoelace and handed it back to his son who began to play it well enough that his dad went out and bought him one of his very own. The Womack Brothers began touring the Gospel circuit and soon caught the ear of Sam Cooke who signed them to his SAR Records. They then changed their name to the Valentinos and scored a 1961 hit with “Lookin’ For A Love.” That was soon followed by “It’s All Over Now,” a co-write by Womack which became an even bigger hit by the Rolling Stones in 1964. After Cooke was killed later that year, the label folded and the Womack Brothers split up. Womack went on to have a successful solo career throughout the ’70s and early ’80s, with such hits as “Harry Hippie,” “Woman’s Gotta Have It,” “Looking For A Love,” and “Across 110th Street.” Many of his songs have been prominently featured in films, television programs, and even games over the past few decades. During the mid-80s, Womack’s career was sidelined due to addiction problems, but he fought his way back, and a decade later, he jumped right back into his work. Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. And in 2010, his talent reached a whole new generation when he contributed lyrics and sang on “Stylo,” the lead track on the Gorillaz massively popular album, Plastic Beach. Two years later, Damon Alborn (Blur/Gorillaz) produced The Bravest Man In The Universe, Womack’s first album since 1994. The LP left critics gushing while earning the #36 slot on Rolling Stone‘s year-end best-of list. In the UK, The Guardian ranked it at #10 for the year while the Q Awards called it the Best Album of 2012. On June 27, 2014, Bobby Womack passed away at the age of 70. Cause of death was not immediately released.
What You Should Own
Sam Cooke was one of soul music’s most respected and influential artists. Over a career that spanned just seven years, he placed almost thirty songs on the Top 40 charts. More than that, Cooke was a savvy businessman and was a visible participant in the Civil Rights movement. His hits included “A Change is Gonna Come,” “You Send Me,” “Twistin’ the Night Away,” and “Chain Gang.” Cooke first came to prominence in 1950 as the singer for the influential gospel group, the Soul Stirrers. By the mid ’50s, he began releasing crossover pop records, and in 1961, he started his own record company, SAR Records, which soon signed the likes of 
Jim Ford was an American singer songwriter who some have called the “Godfather of Pub Rock,” a back-to-basics form of rock ‘n roll that popped up in the UK during the late ’70s. Ford’s mix of soul, country and folk was an influence on the likes of Graham Parker, Dave Edmunds and Brinsley Schwarz. Ford’s songs have been recorded by Schwarz, Edmunds, Bobby Womack, Nick Lowe, Aretha Franklin, Ronnie Wood, and onetime girlfriend, Bobbie Gentry. By all accounts, Ford seems to have fallen into obscurity after the ’70s only to resurface in 2004. After a deluxe re-issue of his 1969 Harlan County album in 2007, new interest in Ford’s music lead to talks of a new album to be produced by the legendary 