Entertainment

Legendary Soul Singer Bobby Womack Has Passed Away

by Loretta Donelan

Tragic news: legendary soul singer Bobby Womack passed away on Friday, CNN reported today. Though the cause of death is unknown at this time, Womack had previously revealed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had suffered from a variety of other health issues.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who was known for his raspy voice and hit soul songs began his musical career when he was a child, performing in the band The Womacks with his brothers. At a young age, his baritone vocals shone, as well as his songwriting abilities. During these early years, he wrote the song "It's All Over Now," which was later covered by The Rolling Stones and became their first US No 1 hit.

Womack later embarked on a strong solo career, playing guitar on Aretha Franklin albums, writing songs, and releasing his own albums; "Lookin' For A Love" was among his most popular songs (listen below if you haven't heard it, it's incredibly catchy). In the next decades, he continued to have an influential role in the music industry, and was behind the soundtrack for 1972's Across 110th Street — the titular song from that soundtrack was later used in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 hit, Jackie Brown. You can alsohear him in Gorillaz' "Stylo," he's referenced in Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," and he's been covered by countless artists. In 2009, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Numerous celebrities, from Cee Lo Green to Big Boi, have paid Twitter tribute to the musician upon hearing of his death. Womack was 70.