December 20, 2014

Michael Jordan All Time Low Disses Poor



Home  Top Stories  Michael Jordan “I Make Shoes for Suburban Whites Not Poor Black Kids.”

Michael Jordan “I Make Shoes for Suburban Whites Not Poor Black Kids.”
“I make shoes for white suburban kids, not the poor black kids. That would be like opening a restaurant for people without stomachs.”
Dec 18, 2014
Several black activists have accused Michael Jordan of not doing enough for the black community complaining that even his shoes are too expensive for most black youths, a charge Jordan has answered himself by saying, “I make shoes for white suburban kids, not the poor black kids. That would be like opening a restaurant for people without stomachs.”

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Jordan did state that he and his friend Larry Bird had originally designed a shoe made for blacks called Air Birds which featured a silhouette of the Great White Hope displaying strong fundamentals. However, the shoes proved to be disastrously unpopular with black youths as many complained about the shoes smelling “like dookie,” most likely due to the fact that the shoes were largely composed of discarded potato skins and horse dung.

“It was a cost preventive measure on part of the company. How were we to know that black kids wouldn’t want to wear shoes with an emblem of a tall white man throwing an effective dribble pass which may or may not have smelled like compost? It smelled like a farm because it was the Air Bird. The man grew up on a farm or something like that,” said Jordan.

Jordan continued by stating, “I don’t want to hear any complaining about can or can’t afford what. There isn’t any Phillipinos or Indonesians that are going to be wearing Jordans anytime soon and they’re making them for five cents an hour.” My jordans are the new red diamond."

October 14, 2014

Zuckerburg Of Facebook Donates 25 Million to Fight Ebola

Zuckerberg, wife donate $25M to CDC for Ebola Zuckerberg, wife donate $25 million to CDC Foundation to address Ebola Associated Press By Barbara Ortutay, AP Technology Writer 15 minutes ago NEW YORK (AP) -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are donating $25 million to the CDC Foundation to help address the Ebola epidemic. The money will be used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola response effort in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and elsewhere in the world where Ebola is a threat, the foundation said Tuesday. The grant follows a $9 million donation made by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen last month. Zuckerberg and Chan are making the grant from their fund at the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation. "We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn't spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday. "We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome." Also on Tuesday, the World Health Organization said West Africa could see up to 10,000 new Ebola cases a week within two months and confirmed that the death rate in the current outbreak is now 70 percent. The disease has killed more than 4,000 people, nearly all of them in West Africa. The WHO has called the outbreak "the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times." "The most important step we can take is to stop Ebola at its source. The sooner the world comes together to help West Africa, the safer we all will be," said CDC Director Tom Frieden in a statement. Facebook Inc. is based in Menlo Park, California

October 13, 2014

Imitation Of Life Actress Dies

Los Angeles (CNN) - Juanita Moore, the third African-American actress to ever get a supporting actress Oscar nomination, died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home Tuesday, her grandson said. She was 99. Moore worked right to the end, preparing for a stage reading of a new play and helping her actor grandson learn lines, Kirk Kellykhan said, "I just got cursed out that morning about learning my lines," Kellykhan said. Moore was helping him prepare for the lead in the West Coast production of the Broadway play "The Wedding Man," he said. She was scheduled to take part in a January 17 reading of a play based on Michael St. John's book "Hollywood Through the Backdoor," her grandson said. Moore was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar in 1960 for Douglas Sirk's "Imitation of Life." She played a housekeeper whose daughter passes for white. A Los Angeles native, she began her entertainment career as a Cotton Club chorus girl and a film extra. At the same time, she worked on her acting skills on stage in the Ebony Showcase Theater. Moore's feature film debut came in 1949 when she played a nurse in "Pinky." Most of her roles in the 1950s were as domestics, until she was cast as Annie Johnson in "Imitation of Life." The story was about Johnson's light-skinned daughter denying her racial roots. The lack of roles for African-American actresses in the early 1960s made it difficult for Moore to find big-screen jobs despite the accolades for her work. She acted in supporting roles in 1961 in "Tammy, Tell Me True" and in 1963 in "Papa's Delicate Condition." Moore did land a significant role as a nun in the 1966 hit "The Singing Nun." As more black-themed movies were made near the end of the decade, her career improved. She acted in "Uptight" in 1968, "The Mack" in 1973 and "Abby" in

October 12, 2014

Feds Get Involved In Ebola Crisis

Obama Orders Immediate Federal Action To Help Halt Spread Of Ebola AP/The Huffington Post 10/12/14 01:50 PM ET WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has gotten an update about the latest developments on Ebola from his health secretary and his assistant for homeland security. The White House says Obama has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to move as quickly as possible in investigating the apparent breach of infection control procedures at the Texas hospital that had treated a Liberian man with the virus. Obama also is having federal authorities take more steps to make sure hospitals and health care providers are ready to follow the proper procedures in dealing with an Ebola patient. According to a White House readout of the call, Obama directed the following: · The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) investigation into the apparent breach in infection control protocols at the Dallas hospital move as expeditiously as possible; · The additional officers CDC has dispatched to Dallas work closely with state and local authorities as well as hospital staff to review infection control procedures and the use of personal protective equipment; · Lessons learned from that inquiry are shared quickly and broadly; and, · Federal authorities take immediate additional steps to ensure hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide are prepared to follow protocols should they encounter an Ebola patient.

Health Worker In Texas Diagnosed With Ebola

Health worker 2nd in US to test positive for Ebola . Associated Press By NOMAAN MERCHANT 31 minutes ago DALLAS (AP) — A Texas health care worker who was in full protective gear while providing hospital care for an Ebola patient who later died has tested positive for the virus and is in stable condition, health officials said Sunday. If the preliminary diagnosis is confirmed, it would be the first known case of the disease being contracted or transmitted in the U.S. Meanwhile, a top federal health official said the health care worker's Ebola diagnosis shows there was a clear breach of safety protocol and all those who treated Thomas Eric Duncan are now considered to be potentially exposed. Dr. Daniel Varga, of the Texas Health Resources, said during a news conference Sunday that the worker wore a gown, gloves, mask and shield while they provided care to Duncan during his second visit to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Varga did not identify the worker and says the family of the worker has "requested total privacy." Varga says the health care worker reported a fever Friday night as part of a self-monitoring regimen required by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said another person also remains in isolation, and the hospital has stopped accepting new emergency room patients. Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., died Wednesday in Dallas. "We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said in a statement Sunday. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread." But Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Sunday raised concerns about a possible breach of safety protocol and told CBS' "Face the Nation" that among the things CDC will investigate is how the workers took off that gear — because removing it incorrectly can lead to a contamination. "I think the fact that we don't know of a breach in protocol is concerning, because clearly there was a breach in protocol," Frieden said. "We have the ability to prevent the spread of Ebola by caring safely for patients ... We'll conduct a full investigation of what happens before health workers go in, what happens when they're there, and what happens in the taking out, taking off their protective equipment because infections only occur when there's a breach in protocol." Health officials have interviewed the patient and are identifying any contacts or potential exposures. They said people who had contact with the health care worker after symptoms emerged will be monitored based on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus. Officials said they also received information that there may be a pet in the health care worker's apartment, and they have a plan in place to care for the animal. They do not believe the pet has signs of having contracted Ebola. Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County's top administrative official, said the unidentified health care worker is a "heroic" person who "was proud to provide care to Mr. Duncan." He said the health care worker's family has requested privacy because they are "going through a great ordeal." More than 4,000 people have died in the ongoing Ebola epidemic centered in West Africa, according to World Health Organization figures published Friday. Almost all of those deaths have been in the three worst-affected countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Health care workers treating Ebola patients are among the most vulnerable, even if wearing protective gear. A Spanish nurse assistant recently became the first health care worker infected outside west Africa during the ongoing outbreak: she helped care for a missionary priest who was brought to a Madrid hospital. More than 370 health care workers in west Africa have fallen ill or died in west Africa since epidemic began earlier this year. Ebola spreads through close contact with a symptomatic person's bodily fluids, such as blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen. Those fluids must have an entry point, like a cut or scrape or someone touching the nose, mouth or eyes with contaminated hands, or being splashed. The World Health Organization says blood, feces and vomit are the most infectious fluids, while the virus is found in saliva mostly once patients are severely ill and the whole live virus has never been culled from sweat. Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., died Wednesday in Dallas. Duncan grew up next to a leper colony in Liberia and fled years of war before later returning to his country to find it ravaged by the disease that ultimately took his life. Duncan arrived in Dallas in late September, realizing a long-held ambition to join relatives. He came to attend the high-school graduation of his son, who was born in a refugee camp in Ivory Coast and was brought to the U.S. as a toddler when the boy's mother successfully applied for resettlement. The trip was the culmination of decades of effort, friends and family members said. But when Duncan arrived in Dallas, though he showed no symptoms, he had already been exposed to Ebola. His neighbors in Liberia believe Duncan become infected when he helped a pregnant neighbor who later died from it. It was unclear if he knew about her diagnosis before traveling. Duncan had arrived at a friend's Dallas apartment on Sept. 20 — less than a week after helping his sick neighbor. For the nine days before he was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, Duncan shared the apartment with several people.

October 8, 2014

Ebola Getting To Know The Disease

Ebola virus disease Fact sheet N°103 Updated September 2014 Key facts Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in west Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas. Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation. Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation. Background The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name. The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976. There have been more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined. It has also spread between countries starting in Guinea then spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, by air (1 traveller only) to Nigeria, and by land (1 traveller) to Senegal. The most severely affected countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have very weak health systems, lacking human and infrastructural resources, having only recently emerged from long periods of conflict and instability. On August 8, the WHO Director-General declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. A separate, unrelated Ebola outbreak began in Boende, Equateur, an isolated part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus family Filoviridae includes 3 genera: Cuevavirus, Marburgvirus, and Ebolavirus. There are 5 species that have been identified: Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston and Taï Forest. The first 3, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, and Sudan ebolavirus have been associated with large outbreaks in Africa. The virus causing the 2014 west African outbreak belongs to the Zaire species. Transmission It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Ebola then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. Health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed EVD. This has occurred through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not strictly practiced. Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. People remain infectious as long as their blood and body fluids, including semen and breast milk, contain the virus. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness. Symptoms of Ebola virus disease The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days. Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms. First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools). Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts and elevated liver enzymes. Diagnosis It can be difficult to distinguish EVD from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis. Confirmation that symptoms are caused by Ebola virus infection are made using the following investigations: antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigen-capture detection tests serum neutralization test reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay electron microscopy virus isolation by cell culture. Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; laboratory testing on non-inactivated samples should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. Treatment and vaccines Supportive care-rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids- and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival. There is as yet no proven treatment available for EVD. However, a range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently being evaluated. No licensed vaccines are available yet, but 2 potential vaccines are undergoing human safety testing. Prevention and control Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation. Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Raising awareness of risk factors for Ebola infection and protective measures that individuals can take is an effective way to reduce human transmission. Risk reduction messaging should focus on several factors: Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission from direct or close contact with people with Ebola symptoms, particularly with their bodily fluids. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home. Outbreak containment measures including prompt and safe burial of the dead, identifying people who may have been in contact with someone infected with Ebola, monitoring the health of contacts for 21 days, the importance of separating the healthy from the sick to prevent further spread, the importance of good hygiene and maintaining a clean environment. Controlling infection in health-care settings: Health-care workers should always take standard precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (to block splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient’s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures). Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Ebola infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories. WHO response WHO aims to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining surveillance for Ebola virus disease and supporting at-risk countries to developed preparedness plans. The document provides overall guidance for control of Ebola and Marburg virus outbreaks: Ebola and Marburg virus disease epidemics: preparedness, alert, control, and evaluation When an outbreak is detected WHO responds by supporting surveillance, community engagement, case management, laboratory services, contact tracing, infection control, logistical support and training and assistance with safe burial practices. WHO has developed detailed advice on Ebola infection prevention and control: Infection prevention and control guidance for care of patients with suspected or confirmed Filovirus haemorrhagic fever in health-care settings, with focus on Ebola Table: Chronology of previous Ebola virus disease outbreaks Year Country Ebolavirus species Cases Deaths Case fatality 2012 Democratic Republic of Congo Bundibugyo 57 29 51% 2012 Uganda Sudan 7 4 57% 2012 Uganda Sudan 24 17 71% 2011 Uganda Sudan 1 1 100% 2008 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 32 14 44% 2007 Uganda Bundibugyo 149 37 25% 2007 Democratic Republic of Congo Zaire 264 187 71% 2005 Congo Zaire 12 10 83% 2004 Sudan Sudan 17 7 41% 2003 (Nov-Dec) Congo Zaire 35 29 83% 2003 (Jan-Apr) Congo Zaire 143 128 90% 2001-2002 Congo Zaire 59 44 75% 2001-2002 Gabon Zaire 65 53 82% 2000 Uganda Sudan 425 224 53% 1996 South Africa (ex-Gabon) Zaire 1 1 100% 1996 (Jul-Dec) Gabon Zaire 60 45 75% 19

July 17, 2014

Elder Abuse in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An abused elderly woman is dead, and police believe her own children are responsible.
The woman’s condition was so bad her leg was decaying from the inside, and ruptured.
Rose Fayne, the victim’s daughter, bonded out of jail.
Fayne’s son, Rodney Cleveland, was recently locked up.
Police said Cleveland knew exactly what was going on inside of the house in the 3700 block of Jolyn but said nothing about it.
Severely neglected and living in agony, police said 77-year-old Betty Cleveland died at the hospital Wednesday.
“It’s just something that should not happen,” Alex Bebie said.  “You shouldn’t neglect or let anything like that happen especially to your parents.”
Police said Rose Fayne called Crossroads Hospice to care for her mom.
When a worker arrived, they called police when they saw her leg busted open and rotting.
Cleveland remained locked up Thursday evening, Fayne paid $30,000 to get out of jail.
WREG went by the house to ask Fayne some questions.
No one answered the door where, neighbors said, they had no idea of the horrors happening inside the home.
“I mean we’ve been here for about 7 years and didn’t expect anything like that,” Bebie said.  “Honestly, didn’t even know her mother was living with her.”
“I will say elder maltreatment is a pervasive problem,” said Dora Ivey, Executive Director of the Aging Commission of the Mid-South.
Ivey said abuse to seniors is an issue that happens all too often in Memphis.
“Oh I think it’s scary.  I think it’s horrifying,” Ivey explained.  “All of us are aging and I think we have to think what will come of me?”
Cleveland is expected in court Friday morning.

June 30, 2014

Wisdom is Defaced At The Civil Court House In Memphis

The Statue of Wisdom at the Old Courthouse has been defaced. The Neck, Hands, Feet, Arms were painted black, Hmmmm, what is really going on. 5 days ago someone was sending a message, that no one received. Today, when going to the Henri Brooks petitioned case, people noticed that the statue was painted black in certain areas.  If Wisdom could only speak?

June 28, 2014

The Life of Bobby Womack Dead at 70

Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack (/ˈwoÊŠmæk/; 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 groupthe 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&Bsoulrock and rolldoo-wopgospel, and country.




1944–1966: Early life and career: The Valentinos[edit]

Main article: The Valentinos
Born and raised in Cleveland's East 85th & Quincy area to Naomi Womack and Friendly Womack, Womack was the third of five brothers.[5] Raised Baptist, their mother played organ in their church and their father was a minister and musician, often known to play guitar though he advised his sons to not touch the instrument while he was away. One night, eight-year-old Bobby, who was often playing it, broke a guitar string. After Friendly replaced the string with a shoelace,[6] he let Bobby play the guitar for him. According to Bobby later, Friendly was shocked by his son's talents as well as the talents of his other sons. Soon afterwards, he bought Bobby his own guitar and formed The Womack Brothers. The group toured the gospel circuit with their parents accompanying them on organ and guitar respectively. In 1954, under the moniker Curtis Womack and the Womack Brothers, the group issued the Pennant single, "Buffalo Bill". Bobby was only ten years old at the time.[5]
Even though Curtis Womack often sang lead, Bobby Womack was allowed to sing alongside him showcasing his gruff baritone vocals in contrast to his older brother's smoother tenor. During performances, Bobby would sometimes imitate the role of a preacher. Sam Cooke discovered the group performing while he was still in the Soul Stirrers in 1956 and began mentoring the boys, promising them that he would help with their careers once he established himself. Within four years, Cooke had formed SAR Records and signed the quintet to the label. Changing their name to the Valentinos, Cooke produced and arranged the group's first hit single, "Looking for a Love", which was a pop version of a gospel song they had released titled "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray", written by Bobby. The song became an R&B hit and helped land the group a spot on James Brown's Revue. The group's next hit came in 1964 with the country-tinged "It's All Over Now", co-composed by Bobby. Their version was rising on the charts when the Rolling Stones covered it. The Valentinos' career was left shaky after Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel. Devastated by the news, the brothers disbanded and SAR Records folded.

1967–1972: Early solo career[edit]

Womack worked at Chips Moman's American Studios in Memphis and played on recordings by Joe Tex and the Box Tops. Womack played guitar on several of Aretha Franklin's albums, including Lady Soul, but not on the hit song "Chain of Fools", as erroneously reported. His work as a songwriter caught the eye of music executives after Wilson Pickett took a liking to some of the songs and insisted on recording them. Among those songs included the hits "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love".
In 1968, he signed with Minit Records and recorded his first solo album, Fly Me to the Moon, where he scored his first major hit with a cover of the Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'". In 1969, Womack forged a partnership with Gábor Szabó and with Szabó, penned the instrumental "Breezin'", later a hit for George Benson. Womack also worked with rock musicians Sly and the Family Stone and Janis Joplin, contributing vocals and guitar work on The Family Stone's accomplished album There's a Riot Goin' On, and penning the ballad "Trust Me", for Joplin on her album Pearl.
After two more albums with Minit, Bobby switched labels, signing with United Artists where he changed his attire and his musical direction with the album Communication. The album bolstered his first top 40 hit, "That's the Way I Feel About Cha", which peaked at number two R&B and number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1972.

1972–1985: Solo success[edit]

Following Communication, Womack's profile was raised with two more albums, released in 1972. The first was Understanding, noted for the album track "I Can Understand It", later covered by the funk band New Birth and a three-sibling lineup of Bobby's old group, the Valentinos, and two hit singles, "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Harry Hippie". The latter song was written for Womack by Jim Ford in a country version, which Womack re-arranged in an R&B version. "Harry Hippie" later became Womack's first to be certified gold.[7]Contrary to popular belief, the song was not about Womack's brother Harry[citation needed]. "Woman's Gotta Have It" became Womack's first single to hit number-one on the R&B charts.
Another hit album released after Understanding was the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Across 110th Street. The title track became popular during its initial 1972 release and later would be played during the opening and closing scenes of the film, Jackie Brown, years later. In 1973, Womack released another hit album, Facts of Life, and had a top 40 hit with "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out", an older song Sam Cooke had done years before.
In 1974, Womack released his most successful single during this period with a remake of his first hit single, "Lookin' for a Love". His solo version of the song became even more successful than the original with the Valentinos', becoming his second number-one hit on the R&B chart and peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his only hit to reach that high on the pop chart. The song was featured on the album Lookin' for a Love Again and featured the minor charted "You're Welcome, Stop on By", later covered byRufus & Chaka Khan. Womack's career began stalling after Womack received the news of his brother Harry's death. Womack continued to record albums with United Artists through 1975 and 1976 but with less success than previous albums. In 1975, Womack collaborated with Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood, on Wood's second solo album, Now Look.
Womack languished with his own recordings during the late 1970s but continued to be a frequent collaborator with other artists, most notably Wilton Felder of The Crusaders. In 1981, Womack signed with Beverly Glen Records and had his first R&B top ten single in five years since the 1976 single Daylight with "If You Think You're Lonely Now", which peaked at number three on the R&B singles chart. His accompanying album The Poet reached number one on the R&B album charts and is now seen as the high point of his long career, bringing him wider acclaim not only in the U.S. but also in Europe. He had two more R&B top ten singles during the 1980s including the Patti LaBelle duet, "Love Has Finally Come at Last", and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much". He had a hit featuring on the Wilton Felder single "(No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still Be Looking Up to You".

1985–2014: Later career[edit]

Womack's solo career started to slow down, however, after 1985, partially due to Womack's issues with drug addiction. After sobering up in the mid-1990s, he released the albumResurrection and continued his performing career.
In 1989, Womack sang on Todd Rundgren's "For the Want of a Nail" on the album Nearly Human. In 1998, he performed George Gershwin's "Summertime" with The Roots for theRed Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
In 2010, Womack contributed lyrics and sang on "Stylo" alongside Mos Def, the first single from the third Gorillaz album Plastic Beach. Womack was told to sing whatever was on his mind during the recording of "Stylo". "I was in there for an hour going crazy about love and politics, getting it off my chest", said Womack.[8] He also provided vocals on the song "Cloud of Unknowing" in addition to the song "Bobby in Phoenix" on their December 2010 release "The Fall".
A new album was released on June 12, 2012 by XL Recordings of London. The album, The Bravest Man in the Universe was produced by Damon Albarn and Richard Russell. The first Song "Please Forgive My Heart" was offered as a free download on XL Recordings' official website on March 8, 2012.[9] Contact Music reported that Womack was working on a blues album called Living in the House of Blues, featuring collaborations with Stevie WonderSnoop Dogg and Rod Stewart.[10] In an interview with Uncut, Womack revealed that the followup would now be called The Best Is Yet To Come and feature Teena Marie and Ronnie Isley.[11]

Legacy[edit]

Jodeci's K-Ci Hailey, a notable admirer of Womack's work, covered "If You Think You're Lonely Now" in 1994. Hailey again covered Womack in 2006 with his rendition of "A Woman's Gotta Have It". The song is referenced in Mariah Carey's song "We Belong Together", a number-one hit in June 2005. Carey sings "I can't sleep at night / When you are on my mind / Bobby Womack's on the radio / Singing to me: 'If you think you're lonely now.'" In 2007, R&B singer Jaheim interpolated the song as "Lonely" on his album "The Making of a Man". Neo Soul Singer, Calvin Richardson also covered many of Womack's tunes. The song was covered by the late R&B musician Gerald Levert and fellow singerMary J. Blige from Levert's 1998 album Love & Consequences.
Film director Quentin Tarantino used "Across 110th Street" (which, in a different version, had been the title song of the 1972 movie) in the opening and closing sequences of his 1997 film Jackie Brown. His work has been used in several other popular films, including Meet the Parents (2000), Ali (2001) and American Gangster (2007). A 2003 Saabcommercial used Womack's interpretation of "California Dreamin'". In 2005, "Across 110th Street" appeared in the hit Activision video game True Crime: New York City.
On the 1994 release 1-800-NEW-FUNKNona Gaye covered "Woman's Gotta Have It," produced by Prince and backed by his band, New Power Generation.
During the spring of 1997, R&B singer Rome covered the original song from his self-titled debut album.
In 2008, Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child recorded her own version of his R&B hit "Daylight" with Travis McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes, which became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, where it was previously released as a single by Womack in 1976.
In 2009, Calvin Richardson was chosen to record a tribute album to Womack to coincide with Womack's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy-nominated album was entitled Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack. It reached No. 30 on the US R&B chart.[12]
In early 2012, Womack's career was the subject of the documentary show Unsung on TV One.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Barbara Campbell[edit]

In March 1965, just three months after Sam Cooke's death, 21-year old Womack created scandal by marrying Cooke's 29-year old widow, Barbara Campbell. Womack claimed he initially went to Barbara's side to console her following Cooke's death for fear that, if she were left alone, she would "do something crazy".[14]
By 1976, Bobby and Barbara were divorced after she found out that he had an affair with his step-daughter. In the ensuing tussle, Barbara fired a gun at her husband.[15] Vincent Womack, his son with Barbara, took his own life in 1988. Bobby Womack's third marriage was to Regina Banks with whom he had a son Bobby Truth and a daughter Gina. From his relationship with Jody Laba he fathered two sons, Cory and Jordan.[16]
Bobby Womack's younger brother, Cecil (1947–2013), later married Linda, the daughter of Sam Cooke and Campbell. Womack and Linda collaborated on the hit song "Woman's Gotta Have It" and he applied background vocals for his brother and Linda as the pair teamed up as Womack & Womack.[3] Womack & Womack also sang the song "Baby I'm Scared of You".

Drug addiction and health problems[edit]

Womack opened up about his frequent drug use in his memoirs, Midnight Mover.[15] Womack said he began using cocaine sometime in the late 1960s. His cocaine use turned into an addiction by the late 1970s. Womack partially blamed his habit for his son Truth's death as an infant in 1976. At the end of the 1980s, Womack went into a rehabilitation facility to get over his cocaine addiction, which he said he conquered. Womack developed diabetes in his later years. In early 2012, Womack entered several hospitals with health problems including pneumonia, for which he was successfully treated. It was revealed in March that Womack was diagnosed with colon cancer after Bootsy Collins reported it on his Facebook page. Womack announced afterwards that he was undergoing cancer surgery. On May 24, 2012, it was announced that Womack's surgery to remove a tumor from his colon was successful and he was declared cancer free. On January 1, 2013, Womack admitted that he has struggled to remember his songs and other people's names, leading doctors to suggest that he was in early stages of Alzheimer's disease.[17]

Death[edit]

Womack died on June 27, 2014 at age 70.[14] Though the cause of his death is currently unknown, his health issues included diabetes, prostate cancer, heart trouble, colon cancer, pneumonia and alzheimers disease.[18]

09 British film Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, where the main character Mia dances to it and uses it as her audition piece. The collection CD on which the song appears also plays a role, and is The Best of Bobby Womack (2008), on which "California Dreamin'" appears on track 17, as Mia requests at her audition.

]

Use of his music in popular culture[edit]

Womack's 1968 cover of "California Dreamin'" featured prominently in 2009 British film Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, where the main character Mia dances to it and uses it as her audition piece. The collection CD on which the song appears also plays a role, and is The Best of Bobby Womack (2008), on which "California Dreamin'" appears on track 17, as Mia requests at her audition.
Womack's "Across 110th Street" featured in the opening and elsewhere in the film Jackie Brown, directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is used to emphasise the blaxploitation tone of the film. It was used again in the Denzel Washington film American Gangster, which depicted the actual circumstances described in the song. This song is also used for the closing credits of Season 2, Episode 3 of the TV series How to Make It in America.

Discography[edit]

Bobby Womack discography
Releases
Studio albums28
Live albums2
Compilation albums9
Singles47

Studio albums[edit]

Live albums[edit]

  • 1970: The Womack "Live" (United Artists) – US No. 188, R&B No. 13
  • 1998: Soul Sensation Live (Sequel)

Compilation albums[edit]

  • 1975: Greatest Hits (United Artists) – US No. 142, R&B No. 30
  • 1975: I Can Understand It (United Artists) – same tracks as on Greatest Hits
  • 1986: Check it Out (Stateside) – UK SSL 6013
  • 1993: Midnight Mover – The Bobby Womack Collection (EMI USA)
  • 1998: Red Hot + Rhapsody
  • 1999: Traditions (Capitol)
  • 2003: Lookin' For a Love: The Best of 1968–1976 (Stateside Records)[21]
  • 2004: Fly Me to the Moon/My Prescription on one CD (Stateside Records)[21]
  • 2004: Understanding/Communication (Stateside Records)[21]
  • 2004: Womack Live/The Safety Zone (Stateside Records)[21]
  • 2004: Lookin' For A Love Again/BW Goes CW (Stateside Records)[21]
  • 2004: Facts of Life/I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To (Stateside Records)[21]

As a featured artist[edit]

Singles[edit]

YearSingleUS Pop chartpositionUS R&B chartpositionUKposition[19]
1962"Lookin' For a Love" (with The Valentinos)728
1964"It's All Over Now" (with The Valentinos)94
1968"California Dreamin'"4320
"Fly Me to the Moon"5216
"What Is This"33
1969"How I Miss You Baby"9413
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"48
"It's Gonna Rain"43
1970"I'm Gonna Forget About You"30
"More Than I Can Stand"9023
1971"Communication"40
"The Preacher (Part 2) /More Than I Can Stand"30
1972"That's The Way I Feel About Cha"272
"Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)"5116
"Woman's Gotta Have It"601
1973"Harry Hippie"318
"Across 110th Street"5619
"Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out"292
"I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You"80
1974"Lookin' For a Love(solo re-release)101
"You're Welcome, Stop on By"595
1975"Check It Out"916
"It's All Over Now" (with Bill Withers)68
1976"Daylight"5
"Where There's A Will, There's A Way"13
1977"Home Is Where The Heart Is"43
1978"Trust Your Heart"47
1979"How Could You Break My Heart"40
1981"Secrets"55
1982"If You Think You're Lonely Now"3
"Where Do We Go From Here"26
1984"It Takes a Lot of Strength to Say Goodbye"76
"Love Has Finally Come at Last" (with Patti LaBelle)883
"Tell Me Why"5460
1985"I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much"264
"Let Me Kiss It Where It Hurts"50
"Someday We'll All Be Free"74
1986"(I Wanna) Make Love to You"57
1987"How Could You Break My Heart" (UK-only release of 1979 single)
"So The Story Goes" (with Living in a Box)8134
"Living in a Box"70
1989"Save the Children"83
1991"I Wish I'd Never Met You" (with Mica Paris)
1993"I'm Back For More" (with Lulu)27
1995"It's A Man's Man's Man's World" (with Jeanie Tracy)73
2004"California Dreamin'" (re-release)59
2010"Stylo" (with Gorillaz)
2010"Cloud of Unknowing" (with Gorillaz)
2011"Bobby in Phoenix" (with Gorillaz)
2012"Please Forgive My Heart"

Awards and nominations[edit]

Reference
This article is from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Womack