Bobby Womack - Songs

ABOUT

Bobby Womack (March 4, 1944 - June 27, 2014) was a highly acclaimed and veteran R&B/soul singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer with powerful, gritty baritone vocals who became famous beginning in the early 1960s as a member of The Valentinos. His best known songs include "That's The Way I Feel About Cha" (1971), "Woman's Gotta Have It" (1972), "Harry Hippie" (1972), "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out" (1973), and "Lookin' For A Love" (1974). Womack was also a prolific songwriter who penned hits for such artists as George Benson, Wilson Pickett, and The Rolling Stones.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio into a musical family, Womack began playing the guitar as a young child and by age 10, was a member of The Womack Brothers, a family gospel group that toured widely throughout the Midwest and recorded on the Pennant label. During the mid 1950s, Sam Cooke discovered the group and by 1961, had signed them to his newly-established label, SAR Records. The brothers changed their group name to The Valentinos soon after and had their first hit in 1962 on both the Pop/Rock and R&B charts with "Lookin' For A Love," which later also became a hit for Bobby Womack and one of his signature songs. Other hits included "It's All Over Now" (1964), a song Womack co-wrote with sister-in-law Shirley Womack that was later made famous by The Rolling Stones. Womack also served as a member of Cooke's touring band and was a highly sought-after session rhythm guitarist throughout most of the 1960s before signing with Minit Records in 1968 as a solo artist.

Womack debuted in early 1968 on both the Pop/Rock and R&B charts with "What Is This," an R&B Top 40 hit followed later that year by his impassioned R&B remakes of the traditional pop standard, "Fly Me To The Moon," and "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & The Papas. His fame took off in late 1971 with "That's The Way I Feel About Cha," the first of several ca. early 1970s top hits on both charts that also included "Woman's Gotta Have It" (1972), "Harry Hippie" (1972), "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out" (1973), and "Lookin' For A Love" (1974). Womack's long string of hits, which continued through the mid 1990s, also included a cover of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" (1972), "Across 110th Street" (1973), "You're Welcome, Stop On By" (1974), "Check It Out" (1975), "Daylight" (1976), "If You Think You're Lonely Now" (1981), "Love Has Finally Come At Last" (1984, duet with Patti LaBelle), and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much" (1985).

Bobby Womack's numerous honors and accolades included being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. His six decades-long career was the subject of a 2012 episode of the TV One documentary series, "Unsung."

LINKS

MERCHANDISE

Disclosure: The following links will take you to various online merchants outside of allbutforgottenoldies.net that sell recordings and other merchandise for the performing artist featured on this page. Please note that these are referral or affiliate links from which allbutforgottenoldies.net may receive, at no additional cost to you, a commission if you should make any purchases through them.

SONGS

To listen to a song clip, click any song title that has a speaker icon. This will take you to a list of links to CD and/or MP3 product pages from one or more online merchants that have sound samples.

Bobby Womack And Peace

Bobby Womack

Jump to:
Previous Artist | Next Artist