Cecil Dale Womack (September 25, 1947 – February 1, 2013) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer.
As Cooke's protégés they changed their name to the Valentinos and in 1961 began to sing and record for secular audiences.
Womack and Wells married in 1966 and formed the music publishing firm, Well-Wom, to market their jointly written songs.
[4] However, the group got dropped from Chess in 1968 after only two singles and Cecil Womack decided to leave the Valentinos.
In 1988, their single "Teardrops", taken from their fourth album Conscience, became a major international hit reportedly selling more than 10 million copies worldwide.
[11] In 1966, Womack married Motown singer Mary Wells at the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland.
This created an interesting family tree because Cecil's brother Bobby Womack had married Sam Cooke's widow and Linda's mother Barbara Campbell in 1965.
[14] Zekkariyas spent his final years traveling the world with his wife and children, using his time to explore his African heritage, spirituality, and knowledge of the continent as well as making music.