Soul great Bobby Womack is dead

Soul great Bobby Womak died yesterday (Friday) aged 70.

The cause of death is as yet unknown.

In a career that spanned nearly six decades his music influenced generations of musicians, perhaps to a greater extent than the public realised.

In the 60’s acts from the Rolling Stones to Janis Joplin were all fans. He worked with some of the biggest names in soul including Wilson Pickett, Sly Stone, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles to name just a few.

In later years his influence lived on with him collaborating with Damon Albarn and Gorrilaz

One of five brothers, he was born in Cleveland, Ohio and by the age of 10 he was touring with his family as part of a group called the Womack Brothers. After being spotted by Sam Cooke they were signed up to his SAR label.

But in his early years he was known more as a session musican and songwriter, working with greats like Elvis, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin.

He wrote a string of songs for Wilson Pickett through the 60’s, but his own solo career never took off in the same period. But come the 70’s there was a turn of fortune. Despite a tempestous private life he started to churn out some of the biggest numbers on the soul circuit.

That success continued through the 1980’s until he attained the status of soul legend.