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He Wrote the Rolling Stones’ First No. 1 Hit. Singer, Songwriter, Musician Bobby Womack Dead at 70

Jun 27, 2014  •  Post A Comment

"Bobby Womack, 70, who spanned the American soul music era, touring as a gospel singer in the 1950s, playing guitar in Sam Cooke’s backup band in the early ’60s, writing hit songs recorded by Wilson Pickett and the Rolling Stones and composing music that broke onto the pop charts, has died, a spokeswoman for his record label said [tonight, June 27, 2014]," reports The New York Times.

The story reports: "Mr. Womack had his first major hit in 1964. He was under contract with [Sam] Cooke’s SAR label when he wrote the song, 'It’s All Over Now,' and recorded it with his group, the Valentinos, which consisted of him and four of his brothers. The song was slowly rising on the R&B charts when Cooke told him that a British band called the Rolling Stones had liked it so much that they planned to record it, too. The song became the Stones’ first No. 1 single in Britain and their first international hit, while the Valentinos’ version sank."

The Times adds: "Mr. Womack, nicknamed the Preacher for his authoritative, church-trained voice and the way he introduced songs with long discourses on life, never had the million-record success of contemporaries like Wilson Pickett, Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Otis Redding. His sandpaper vocal style made him more popular in England, where audiences revere what they consider authentic traditional American music, than in the United States.

"But the pop stars of his time considered Mr. Womack royalty. His admirers included Keith Richards, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, all of whom acknowledged their debt with guest performances on albums he made in his later years."

To read more about Womack we suggest you click on our link to the Times story above, and read the entire obituary.

Here's a YouTube video of Womack singing "Across 110th St," used as the title credits role for the movie "Jackie Brown." This video has more than 3 million hits:

One Comment

  1. Bobby Womack I know you’ve passed on,you will always be my number one artist when they said you were going to be in Atlanta to perform last I was excited I would get to see you perform live but you were not allowed due to health reason, you music is still alive today and it a blessing to have thank you may you love of the art of music play in our hearts and minds forever move, love Holly

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