Womack and Womack

Womack and Womack Band members: Linda and Cecil Womack
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Biggest Hit Single: Teardrops, number three, 1988

Cecil was the lesser known younger brother of Bobby, and started his musical career as the other half of R&B band the Womack Brothers. The Womack Brothers were spotted by soul veteran Sam Cooke, who took them under his wing in the early 60s and got them a record deal.

But scandal was not far behind and in 1965, just three months after Sam Cooke was murdered, Bobby Womack married Cooke's widow Barbara Campbell. Later things became even more complicated when Cecil married Sam and Barbara's daughter Linda in a plot that wouldn’t be out of place on Eastenders!

When the Womack Brothers partnership ended, Linda and Cecil began recording music together; first the Love Wars album in 1983, featuring R&B hit Baby I’m Scared Of You, and then Radio M.U.S.I.C Man, containing unfinished Sam Cooke songs completed by the duo. Two more albums followed, Conscience in 1988 and Family Spirit in 1991.

Their song Love Wars was covered by British pop band The Beautiful South for the 1990 compilation Rubáiyát, sparking renewed interest in Womack & Womack’s back catalogue. But the couple have not produced any new material since 1991.

Both Womack brothers have enjoyed successful careers as songwriters too, penning tracks for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin too.