US R&B star Bobby Womack dies at 70 (pics)
US soul singer and songwriter Bobby Womack has died, his publicist said. He was 70.
Womack, who rose within the gospel music community in the 1950s, became a key figure of the R&B genre, and is best known for hits including " Lookin' For A Love," " That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha," and " Woman's Gotta Have It."
From the Rolling Stones to Damon Albarn, many singers and songwriters cited Womack as an influence.
His songs have been recorded by multiple artists, and he played as a session musician in Memphis in the 1960s.
Albarn and XL Recordings president Richard Russell helped Womack regain his career with 2012 comeback album " The Bravest Man in the Universe."
The album was a departure for Womack, full of electronic music and beats . But it was lauded by critics for a simple reason: His distinctive voice still brought chills.
Womack was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago after overcoming addiction and multiple health issues, including prostate cancer, to pull off that second act of his career.
He performed recently at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and seemed in good health and spirits. He had been scheduled to perform at multiple events across Europe in July and August.
Seven-decade career
In 2013 he told the BBC that his Alzheimer's diagnosis came after he began having difficulty remembering his songs and the names of people he had worked with.
And there have been many. The soul singer cut a wide path through the music business as a performer and songwriter in a career that spanned six decades.
Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, long after he'd lost his fortune and his career to addiction.
He spoke of kicking his substance abuse problems in a 2012 interview with the Associated Press and the friends he had lost to drugs over the years.
"I think the biggest move for me was to get away from the drug scene," Womack said. "It wasn't easy. It was hard because everybody I knew did drugs. ... They didn't know when to turn it off."
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website , Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and sang gospel music at a young age, performing with his brothers in The Womack Brothers.
Under the influence of gospel and R&B legend Sam Cooke, who signed the group to his personal label, Womack moved into secular music.
In the early 1960s his group recorded " It's All Over Now ,'' which was covered by the Stones and became the band's first number-one hit.
Gospel singer Candi Staton knew Womack since they were children and she toured with him.
"He had a style that nobody else could ever capture," she said in a statement. "I loved him and I will miss him so, so very much."
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