Legendary American soul singer Bobby Womack, the R&B singer/songwriter who wrote classics like "It's All Over Now" and "Lookin' for A Love," has passed away. He was 70 years old.
Sonya Kolowrat, Womack's publicist, has confirmed the singer's death, but did not give further details.
Womack was reportedly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago. He was also dealing with addiction and other health issues including prostate cancer and colon cancer.
Womack's last performance was at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festiva 2014.
In a 2012 interview, Womack discussed his struggle with drugs. "I think the biggest move for me was to get away from the drug scene," he told the Associated Press.
"It wasn't easy. It was hard because everybody I knew did drugs ... They didn't know when to turn it off. So for me looking at Wilson Pickett, close friends of mine, Sly Stone, Jim Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and I can go on and on and on, and I say all of them died because of drugs," he added.
Womack has inspired a lot of musicians, including British rockers The Rolling Stones--they covered "All Over Now" in 1964 and became a big hit. After the announcement of his death, Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood said on Twitter: "The man who could make you cry when he sang has brought tears to my eyes with his passing."
Born in Cleveland in 1944 and mentored by Sam Cooke, Womack started his music career with gospel recordings with his siblings (The Womack Brothers). He then became known for his session work with artists like Aretha Franklin and Joe Tex, and eventually began making his own records. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
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