This was originally written and posted on one of my old blogs on 2 July 2014. I’m reposting it here to mark the 10th anniversary of his death. Bobby Womack was truly a soul man and is truly missed.  Continue to rest in eternal peace Bobby.

Last Friday afternoon I was rocking to Womack and Womack “Love Wars” album while in the kitchen. I mean I had Spotify on repeat for two hours. Ten hours later I heard Bobby Womack had died.

Bobby Womack was cut from the same cloth so many other earlier soul and R & B singers were, a breed rare in today’s music. He was the consummate all rounder – a singer, songwriter and session musician. His repotiore was versatile and listening to him perform Neil Diamonds “Sweet Caroline” or the Mama and Papas “California Dreamin” left you in no doubt about his range and the ability to give a whole other sound to any genre.

But it is his gritty raw soulful and streetwise urban lyrics and sound that endeared me to his music. That and his cocky strut, the sometimes suggestive swagger during his live shows.  Newcomers who have just gotten hip to Womack after he played Glastonbury last year, while still recovering from cancer surgery and other ailments, may not know this, but he had real swagger. Watching his Glastonbury set only gives you a glimpse, although Altrina Grayson, one of his long time back up singers and long time duet partner, who offered some respite. His illness had taken its toll.

Bobby Womack was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Keith Richards in 2009.

Oh, he may have showed up at Glastonbury, but Womack’s music never crossed over in a big way. Still, old school schooler’s like me knew the mans worth. While he originally was not happy about the Rolling Stones covering his song “It’s All Over Now”, he changed his tune when he realised how much he could make in royalties from song writing.  He was never enamored by Mick Jagger. “Some people never grow up if you give ’em too much, “They gonna be assholes, then they just become a bigger asshole,” Is what he told the Guardian’s Alexis Petridis in 2012. He didn’t think much of Elvis Presley either, whom he did some studio session work for, but has said of Elvis:  “He wasn’t shit. Everything he got he stole’.

No stranger to tragedy, hardships and controversy, Womack  pretty much suffered, experienced and done it all. There was the murder of his good friend and mentor Sam Cooke, murder of his brother Harry, the death of his 4 month old son which he blames himself for, his 21 year old sons suicide and another son was convicted of second degree murder and is in prison. He finally kicked his 30 year cocaine habit in the 90’s. Let’s not forget his divorces and the marriage to Sam Cooke’s widow, 3 months after his murder. And controversy? What do you call marrying Sam Cooke’s widow, less than 4 months after his death and then staring an affair with your then teenage  step-daughter.

You know until last week, I didn’t know the story behind Janis Joplins “Mercedes”. Yup, Womack influenced it.

He was a flawed human being like many of us, but Bobby Womack was amongst the greatest R & B singers EVER, who could wipe the floor with a lot of today’s contemporaries.

Here are just some of my favourite Bobby Womack tunes. Enjoy!