Linda Cooke

Fans of Soul music for sure know Sam Cooke, (the link brings you to "Blowin' In The Wind, a great song by Bob Dylan but here performed in a great way by Sam Cooke) by many named as "Father of Soul". In his not so long career he wrote incredible beautiful songs, many who became famous after he died. He died in December 1964, 33 years young and, as so often in the US music scene, by violence. In the early 60ies he was a guest in some motel and what happened there is told by many people in different ways. He was shot dead by the owner of the motel after he assaulted her, he was killed because he wanted to rob the place (highly unlikely as he did not need the money), he was trying to catch a prostitute who robbed him and ran into the owners reception desk where she shot him, and some other stories. The truth is that he died, halfnaked in the entrance of that motel leaving a young child behind, his daughter Linda. She was 12 when he died and grew up/raised by her (widow)mother. She followed later the footsteps of her famous father but without big success. Then in, 1980, she married Cecil Womack. Not by coincedence she knew Cecil as his brother Bobby married the widow of Sam Cooke and thus the mother of Linda only 3 months after he was shot dead (1965). Under the name of Womack & Womack, Cecil and Linda released a successful album, "Love Wars". They released more albums and singles but the only famous song was without any doubt "Teardrops" from 1988. A hitsong all over the world.

Now would I not write so much about Linda Cooke if the end was not so special. In the 1990s, when hits in the music scene stayed away, the family moved to Africa with their family and now records with her seven children as "The House of Zekkariyas". I still did not find out which country they went to in Africa. But according to their website (quite amateuristic I would say)
"they have positive directed you in confidence into a glimpse of their present state and future existence". Whatever that may mean. Linda Cooke, Cecil Womack, a short history.
Till the next blog!