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Womack was born in the Fairfax neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, near East 85th Street and Quincy Avenue. Sam Cooke signed the Womack Brothers to his SAR Records then changed their name to The Valentinos. Cooke produced and arranged the group’s first hit single, “Lookin’ for a Love“. The Valentinos’ career was left shaky after Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a Los Angeles motel. After Cooke was killed, Womack eventually married Cooke’s widow Barbara which did not go over well in the music industry. He faced quite a bit of backlash afterward including radio stations and disc jockeys throwing away his records rather than play them on the air.

In 1972 Womack released the album “Understanding” that had two hit singles “Woman’s Gotta Have It” and “Harry Hippie”. “Woman’s Gotta Have It” became Womack’s first single to hit number one on the R&B charts. He had a long career in the music industry working with many artists over the years. 

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. YouTube – Bobby Womack performs at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

🎸 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2009

The O’Jays were formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958 while its members were attending Canton McKinley High School. They took the name ‘The O’Jays’, in tribute to Cleveland radio disc jockey Eddie O’Jay. In 1972 (14 years after forming) original members Bill Isles and Bobby Massey departed, leaving the group a trio. The remaining three original members were Eddie Levert, William Powell, and Walter Williams.

In 1972 The O’Jays released their first million-seller, “Back Stabbers,” from the album of the same name. This album produced several more hit singles, including “992 Arguments,” “Sunshine,” “Time to Get Down,” and the number 1 pop smash, “Love Train.”

The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. YouTube – The O’Jays perform at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

🎸 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2005

The Raspberries were a pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. The group’s “classic” lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (Brush High School – Lyndhurst, OH, vocals, guitars, bass, piano), Wally Bryson (guitars), Dave Smalley (guitars, bass) and Jim Bonfanti (drums). Their best known songs include “Go All the Way“, “Let’s Pretend“, “I Wanna Be with You“, “Tonight“, and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)“.

The group had its roots in two of Cleveland’s most successful local bands in the late 1960s, The Choir and Cyrus Erie. “Go All the Way” peaked at #5 in the U.S. in October 1972, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.