# Bobby Womack’s Diary: Unveiling the Unbelievable Truth
Bobby Womack, the iconic soul singer, was long dismissed as a fabricator of wild tales about his scandal-ridden life. Critics and fans alike questioned the veracity of his stories—until his diary surfaced, confirming the shocking details.
From a controversial marriage to his mentor’s widow to disturbing family secrets, the diary revealed a chaotic, darker side to Womack’s legacy that no one fully believed until now.
Born into a musical family, Womack’s journey began in the 1950s with his brothers in a gospel group, The Womack Brothers, formed by their father. Their big break came when they opened for The Soul Stirrers, led by Sam Cooke, who became Bobby’s mentor. Cooke signed them to his label, SAR Records, in 1961, and urged a shift to secular music.
Renamed The Valentinos, their hit “Looking for a Love” peaked at 72 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their rise. Cooke’s guidance shaped Bobby, making his 1964 murder at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles a devastating blow.
What followed was unthinkable. Just 77 days after Cooke’s death, Bobby, then 20, attempted to marry Cooke’s widow, Barbara, who was 10 years his senior. Initially denied due to his age, they wed on March 5, 1965, the day after his 21st birthday.
The act, compounded by Bobby wearing Cooke’s suits and driving his car, was seen as a profound betrayal. Public outrage erupted; hate mail, including a chilling baby doll in a coffin, targeted the couple. Bobby’s family disowned him, and Cooke’s brother, Charles, brutally assaulted him in a Chicago motel confrontation, leaving Bobby with broken ribs and a shattered jaw.
The marriage unraveled by 1970 when Barbara caught Bobby with her teenage daughter, Linda. Enraged, she shot at him, grazing his head, ending their six-year union.
Post-divorce, Linda rejected Bobby and later married his brother Cecil, forming the duo Womack & Womack with seven children. The tangled family dynamics stunned the soul music community.
Personal tragedies compounded Bobby’s turmoil. Of his six children, two died young: Vincent, his son with Barbara, by suicide at 21, and Truth Bobby, who passed at four months old due to a tragic accident.
His brother Harry was fatally stabbed in 1974 over a jealous misunderstanding. Many saw these losses as karma for Bobby’s betrayals. Health struggles later emerged—diabetes, colon cancer in 2012 (successfully treated), and Alzheimer’s by 2013. Bobby Womack died on June 27, 2014, at 70 in Tarzana, California.
Despite personal chaos, Womack’s musical talent shone. With a Grammy nomination and 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, he remained a soul legend.
His diary, revealing raw truths, reshaped perceptions of his life—from audacious choices to profound pain. It’s a testament to a man whose genius and flaws were inseparable. What do you make of his story?