Linda Womack (née Cooke; born April 25, 1953), now known as Zeriiya Zekkariyas, is an American singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of soul singer

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

. She later had a successful career as half of the duo Womack & Womack with her husband Cecil Womack.

Early life and family

Linda Womack (née Cooke) is the eldest child of Barbara Campbell and Sam Cooke, born on April 25, 1953. Her parents married in 1958. In December 1964, when she was 11 years old, her father was killed. Soon after, her mother married Cooke's protégé Bobby Womack on March 5, 1965. In 1970, Barbara shot at him after she discovered he was having an affair with Linda, who was 17-years-old at the time. According to Womack, Linda never spoke to her mother again after that incident.

Career

In 1972, Linda co-wrote Bobby Womack's 1972 hit song "

Woman's Gotta Have It ''Woman's Gotta Have It'' is the second album by Cornershop, released in 1995. Recording and release The song ''My Dancing Days Are Done'' is performed in French (''mes jours de bal perdus'') by the guest singers Parsley and Sasha Andres. The ...

". In 1979, she signed to

Capricorn Records Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre. History Label and studio fou ...

and went on the road with him. They planned to collaborate for her debut album. She gained renown as a songwriter of

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

songs in the late 1970s and '80s, with "Love Bankrupt", released by

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

; and the ballad "New Day" by soul singer and jazz guitarist,

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

. Linda married Bobby's brother Cecil Womack, and together they had a successful recording career under the name Womack & Womack. Their first album, '' Love Wars'', released by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

, was a critical hit. "Baby I'm Scared of You" was a

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

R&B single. Other albums included ''Radio M.U.S.I.C. Man'' (Elektra 1985), ''Starbright'' (Manhattan EMI 1986), ''Conscience'' (Island 1988) and ''Family Spirit'' on Arista/

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

in 1991. Their 1988 single " Teardrops" from the album ''

Conscience A conscience is a Cognition, cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's ethics, moral philosophy or value system. Conscience is not an elicited emotion or thought produced by associations based on i ...

'' was a worldwide hit. The song, written by Linda and Cecil (as Womack and Womack), featured Linda on lead vocals. The 1993 album ''Transformation Into The House Of Zekkariyas'' was their last as Womack & Womack. In the 1990s, Linda and her family moved to South Africa. She records with her seven children as The House of Zekkariyas. Her husband died on January 25, 2013, in South Africa, aged 65.

References

External links

Review/Rock; Womacks:Songs of Life
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The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''; accessed January 2, 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Womack, Linda 1953 births American women singers Living people American expatriates in South Africa Expatriate musicians in South Africa American expatriate musicians Singers from Chicago Capricorn Records artists African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters 21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American musicians Singer-songwriters from Illinois 20th-century African-American women