Bobby Womack, a prolific gospel-soul singer who also wrote songs recorded by the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, George Benson and others, died Friday. He was 70.
A representative from his label, XL Recordings, confirmed the death of the longtime Los Angeles resident, but provided no other details.
The streetwise vocalist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 was mentored by Sam Cooke and played alongside Elvis Presley, Sly Stone and Damon Albarn throughout his storied career. “It’s All Over Now,” a bitter kiss-off Womack wrote and sang in a passionately gravelly voice on a recording by his group the Valentinos, became a No. 1 hit for the Rolling Stones in 1964.
Womack had long been struggling with numerous health issues. Last year, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he had been open about his battles with addiction. He survived prostate cancer, was operated on for colon cancer (the diagnosis proved to be negative) and had a death scare with pneumonia.
“Everybody’s got personal problems,” Womack said in a 2012 interview with the Los Angeles Times, joking that it was a miracle that he was alive. “That’s life. If you’re strong enough and want to pull out, you can only pull out for the better.”