The Womack Sisters Deliver a Soulful Debut Album on Daptone Records
- The Womack Sisters have released their debut album on Daptone Records, bringing a soulful celebration shaped by generations of musical lineage.
- Sam Cooke secured early success with his 1957 hit “You Send Me” before signing with RCA Records in 1960, a move that yielded a string of hits and...
- Following Cooke's death, Linda Cooke—the daughter of Sam Cooke—married Cecil Womack in 1979.
The Womack Sisters have released their debut album on Daptone Records, bringing a soulful celebration shaped by generations of musical lineage. Reviewers consistently note that members BG, Zeimani, and Kucha are the granddaughters of Sam Cooke and the children of successful artists Womack & Womack, establishing a profound family legacy in soul music.
From Sam Cooke to SAR Records
Sam Cooke secured early success with his 1957 hit “You Send Me” before signing with RCA Records in 1960, a move that yielded a string of hits and culminated in his 1962 LP, Twistin’ The Night Away. Cooke subsequently launched his own label, SAR Records, which signed artists including The Simms Twins, Mel Carter, Johnnie Taylor, and The Valentinos. Led by Bobby Womack and his brothers, including Cecil Womack, The Valentinos recorded “It’s All Over Now,” written by Bobby Womack and Shirley Jean Womack. The Rolling Stones later recorded an arrangement that mirrored The Valentinos’ version, providing the British band with their first UK number-one hit. Because Cooke owned the publishing rights to the track, Bobby Womack, Shirley Jean Womack, and Sam Cooke earned substantial revenue from the release.
Family Lineage and Womack & Womack
Following Cooke’s death, Linda Cooke—the daughter of Sam Cooke—married Cecil Womack in 1979. The couple pursued a career as songwriters, penning “Love T.K.O.,” which reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles/R&B chart and number forty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 under credits for Cecil Womack and musical collaborator Gip Noble. In 1983, Linda and Cecil formed the musical duo Womack & Womack, scoring a Top 40 R&B hit with “Baby I’m Scared of You.” The couple raised seven children, and in 1993, the group adopted the name Zekkariyas, referencing their ancestral family in Nigeria. The children were home-schooled on tour and fully integrated into the band, a period the sisters later identified as the moment they realized they could function as a distinct musical group.
Moving to Los Angeles and Building an Identity
By 2007, BG, Zeimani, and Kucha moved to Los Angeles to forge an identity distinct from their parents, renaming themselves The Womack Sisters. They performed at open mic nights, provided backing vocals, wrote and arranged material, and worked alongside artists such as Mýa, B.o.B., The Game, Eddie Murphy, and Solange, in addition to singing behind their uncle Bobby Womack during his later years. Cecil Womack began managing the sisters and working on their debut album in 2013, but his death later that year halted the project. Bobby Womack attempted to complete the work before his own death in 2014, leaving the album unreleased until now.