Linda Womack


Linda Womack, now known as Zeriiya Zekkariyas, is an American singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of soul singer Sam Cooke. She later gained fame as half of the duo Womack & Womack with her husband Cecil Womack.

Biography

Linda Womack is the eldest child of Barbara Campbell and Sam Cooke, born on April 25, 1953. Her parents married in 1958. When she was 11 years old, her father was killed in December 1964. Two months later her mother married Sam's protégé Bobby Womack in February 1965. In 1970, Barbara shot at Bobby after she discovered that he was having an affair with Linda. They divorced that year. According to Bobby, Linda never spoke to her mother again after that incident.
In 1972, Linda teamed up with Bobby, co-writing his 1972 hit song "Woman's Gotta Have It". In 1979, she signed to Capricorn Records and went on the road with him. They planned to collaborate for her debut album. She gained renown as a songwriter of soul songs in the late seventies and eighties, with "Love T.K.O.", recorded by Teddy Pendergrass; "Love Bankrupt", released by Patti LaBelle; and the ballad "New Day" by soul singer and jazz guitarist, George Benson.
Linda married Bobby's brother Cecil Womack, together they had a successful recording career under the name Womack & Womack. Their first album Love Wars proved a critical hit on the Elektra label. "Baby I'm Scared of You" was a Top 40 R&B single. Other albums included Radio M.U.S.I.C. Man, Starbright, Conscience and Family Spirit on Arista/RCA in 1991. Their 1988 single "Teardrops" from the album Conscience was a worldwide hit. The song, written by Linda and Cecil, 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.