BOBBY WOMACK – AN OVERVIEW OF ‘ THE POET’S’ CAREER

Over a prolific career Robert (aka Bobby) Dwayne Womack recorded as a singer, as a musician as well as also being both a writer and producer. Bobby embarked on his amazing career aged 10 years old on the midwest gospel circuit in the 50s, as a member of The Womack Brothers, touring with, among others The Staple Singers. Leaving high school aged 16, he signed a record deal, he worked with Sam Cooke as a guitarist, as well as which he produced the early 60s hit single Its All Over Now for Womack family band The Valentinos, a track successfully covered by The Rolling Stones. The Valentinos toured during the early 60s, in the main playing support slots, including touring with the legendary James Brown and the Fabulous Flames. Between ’65 and ’68 Bobby worked, recorded and toured with Ray Charles, he also worked with Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin during that three year period. He signed his first solo recording deal in ’68, Harry Hippy becoming his first solo gold single. Over the 43 year period between 1969 and 2012, Bobby released a total of 23 solo albums. The golden era for Bobby as a recording artist was the 70s, his timeless northern/rare soul favourite Home Is Where The Heart Is, along with the classic blaxploitation anthem Across 110th Street, later revived on the soundtrack of Tarantino’s film Jackie Brown, being two of the many high points of that period. During the early 80s as well as working with The Crusaders Wilton Felder, on the Jazz-Funk album Inherit The Wind, another of Bobby's all-time great tracks, namely So Many Sides Of You was first released. During ’81 the album regarded by many as Bobby Womack's finest recording from a glittering career, The Poet, was also released. During the 80s while working with Sly Stone, following an addiction to drugs Bobby went into rehab. In ’83 he was involved in writing and producing, the debut album for the family duo Womack And Womack (Linda and Cecil), Love Wars. Later Bobby’s health problems started to stack up, he survived prostate cancer, was treated for cancer of the colon, during 2013 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He died in June 2014.