Nineteen eighty-one brought If You Think You’re Lonely Now, giving men plenty of justication to be “working” but ‘fore that, Bobby Womack was making music with a group, the Valentinos, alongside Sam Cooke. Bobby was a guitarist in the group, so he read, wrote and played good music. Okay?

Like a good number of African American musicians of that time, Bobby was raised in the church. The Womack Brothers was a gospel group, which was discovered by Sam Cooke and eventually, the group’s name changed, crossing over to pop and R&B. However, the men were shook after Cooke’s death and Bobby went solo around 1965. I have deep respect for the musicians, particularly African Americans, seeing their art through during this period. Mercy…

Bobby had such hits as That’s the Way I Feel About Cha, Woman’s Gotta Have It, Harry Hippie, which went certified gold, and more. Looking for a Love was originally recorded with the Valentinos but it became more successful with Bobby’s new release in ’74 and really put him in the spotlight.

Now, Bobby was good for talking to listeners before crooning the lyrics. Kinda like a lecture. With this, he touched on his pain points. You can probably imagine the men amen-ing and whatnot. Yeah, yeah…And Bobby’s gruff baritone demanded your ear for you to marinate on his words. These were doses of wisdom he was dispensing on love. And being a songwriter, his lyrics were relatable to his audience. With Bobby, you got a blend of blues and gospel, with an invitation for you to confront yourself.

Portraits on Tiffany’s From the Musical Sketchbook celebrate Mr Bobby Womack and his legacy as he Rests in Love.