Soul singer and songwriter Bobby Womack has died aged 70.

The R&B legend's publicist Sonya Kolowrat confirmed his death but said the cause was not yet known.

Womack, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, started performing gospel music with his brothers in the 1950s.

He became a major figure in the rhythm and blues genre, in a career that spanned seven decades.

As the lead singer of The Valentinos, the band he formed with his brothers in the 1960s, Womack scored a hit with Lookin' For A Love.

After the band broke up, Womack played guitar and worked with popular artists such as Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and Ray Charles.

Womack, a prolific songwriter, composed songs across the rock and soul genres. His hits included It's All Over Now, recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1964, and Trust Me for Janis Joplin, which was released after she died.

His solo singing career produced a string of hits, including 1972's That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha and Woman's Gotta Have It.

Womack had struggled with health issues in recent years, including diabetes, prostate cancer, heart trouble, colon cancer and pneumonia.

Last year, he said he was beginning to show early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

__________________
Calm, quiet, smooth, devastating

Wasn't real familiar with him, but, nevertheless, RIP Bobby Womack!

Yeow, another icon.

__________________
On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.