Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack (/ˈwoʊmæk/; March 4, 1944 − June 27, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter and musician.[3] An active recording artist since the early 1960s, when he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career spanned more than 50 years and spanned a repertoire in the styles of R&B, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, gospel, and country. In 2009, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[4]