With a familial musical catalog that includes hits like Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Womack & Womack’s “Teardrops,” and Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now,” one would expect the descendants of such a musical dynasty to kick back in the comfort of their predecessors’ accomplishments – but not The Womack Sisters.

The trio consists of BG, Zeimani, and Kucha. They are the granddaughters of the legendary “King of Soul,” Sam Cooke. The daughters of the renowned Cecil and Linda Womack, and nieces to R&B icon Bobby Womack. They understand their family’s impact on the sound of music, but are striving to leave their own.

21Ninety sat down with The Womack Sisters who share lessons they’ve learned about the music business. Also, what listeners can expect from their debut EP, and more!

Jadriena Solomon: You ladies are bred from a family full of musical greats. Even still, was entering the music industry a dream that you each always shared from childhood? Or was it a passion that had to be developed with time?

BG: Wow. Since day one. I wanted to do it ever since I saw that it was a job. 

Zeimani: Just seeing our parents on tour and the effect that they had on people – it was such a beautiful feeling. And just to see how music is something that we can connect on as people, even if we are at odds as far as how we view each other – the music just brings us together. So I always thought that that is such a powerful thing to be apart of. It’s magic.  

Kucha: I can second that. Just looking at the way that they made people feel when they would perform and sing, I always wanted to have that impact on people.

JS: Yes. And it’s so amazing that you guys are able to witness that music greatness because you’re going to embody it in your own way, and be able to invoke that same feeling in audiences. And that’s something that we don’t get with every artist nowadays.

Zeimani: I think that’s what a lot of the artists that come out experience – they’re bombarded with a lot of opinions and are being led by the people that invest in them. But they’re not always able to take the lead, be their creative self, and just come from the heart. And that’s really what the power is in what the musical greats did. They came from the heart with everything. And they did what they felt deep inside, and that’s really the only way to move forward in life is to do what you feel.

JS: Yes. Your father was extremely instrumental in you all learning the business of the music industry. You’ve also worked alongside other musical greats such as the Rolling Stones, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osborne, Annie Lennox and more. What would you say has been the most insightful, impactful piece of information that you’ve been able to learn and apply to your careers?

BG: Always have a good lawyer with you. And don’t sign anything unless you’re ready. 

Zeimani: Make sure that the people that you’re connecting with are 100% with you and that you’re covering every conversation and not leaving anything unsaid. You want to make sure that you have your eyes on everything because just as quickly as you can be open to giving out trust, that trust can be quickly taken advantage of. So you have to be really careful. We’ve experienced that first hand, and that definitely put some roadblocks in our journey coming into the music business. But that said, just as we’re always willing to trust, we never do anything without a lawyer. That’s the one thing that protected us – we’ve always had our lawyer by our side. 

There’s a lot of people that will swindle you out of your time and your music, and not have any good intentions for you. So you just need to make sure that you keep your eyes open and stay on top of everything. 

JS: Coming from such a strong lineage of talent, and also being a girl group in a day and age where it seems like the girl groups have phased out, do you ever feel any type of pressure to achieve success or live up to a certain level of legacy? And if you do, how do you push through those moments?

BG: We were taught that you don’t compete with your art, right. There’s Sade and then there’s Aretha Franklin – both are equally accepted and needed. So whether you’ve been a singer all of your life, you came up in church, or you were singing background and got trusted into the limelight, you’re still equal. There is no competition. 

Kucha: I totally agree with that but that also made me think of the pressure part of being one of only girl groups out – and it’s really an honor. As far as knowing that we can come and fill that space because we love groups, and the fact that there’s not enough of them right now, we have to do better with that. 

Zeimani: That was the thing that made us so excited to grow up and become women – when we saw groups like En Vogue and The Supremes, and they had this sisterhood and they were just conquering all these different aspects of their life – that’s needed for young people growing up today. We don’t have a lot of that and to have that music and that vision of a woman being powerful with other women, that’s something I am so honored to be a part of, and to be doing it with my sisters.

JS: In learning about you all, I read about a car accident that you experienced as children in your father’s Rolls Royce. He collided with a van and when the driver realized who your father was, their anger was “totally diffused” and they immediately begged for forgiveness for their reaction. In that moment, you all realized the true power of music. Through your current catalog of singles and future records to come, what impact do you all hope to leave listeners with?

BG: Happiness. Hope.

Zeimani: Understanding. That’s what we get from music – love, understanding, the strength to move forward. 

What we saw that day was the love for the music. Regardless of what had happened, her anger or whatever she felt when she looked at my father just diffused. She didn’t have any other reason to be kind to him, other than the effect that he had on her life with the music. And so that makes it all the more, a badge. We are unified through the music and we can get past things through us understanding each other and letting our guards down. 

BG: Music fights the B.S. and hate.

JS: I can’t help but wonder, when you sit down and listen to your family’s records – a record like “A Change Is Gonna Come” by your grandfather, Sam Cooke. A record like that truly transcends times and evokes such a powerful feeling. When you sit down and listen to these hits, how does it make you feel? What does it invoke in you all? 

BG: Wow, it feels powerful. 

Zeimani: It invokes so much power. Through time and everything that we’ve been through, as a race, as a country, the music gives us strength and lets us know that there is certainly that we’re going to be okay. 

Kucha: Pride.

JS: Lastly, what can listeners expect from your debut EP? Do we have an official title and release date?

Kucha: We can’t give an official release date soon but we can tell you that it’s called “Legacy.”

BG: Our family has gone through a lot. This beautiful music was a struggle for them. Just like any artist, no one is going to believe in you until it’s done. And then they’re going to ask what you’re going to do next. 

So we got a chance to see The Womacks go through their ups and downs. And feeling like they didn’t get a chance to 100% show what they were capable of, and get all of their creativity out. They had hits in the beginning and the minute that our grandfather passed away was the end for the group. And they had so much more to share. They were the ‘unheard’ Rolling Stones before The Rolling Stones – the first song The Rolling Stones actually put out was a cover of theirs. So our family has always viewed that as what they could have been. 

In our grandfather’s life being cut down at the age of 30, we also have to pick this up. 

Kucha: There was so much more that he was going to do, for music and for people in general. 

BG: And we want to continue that because we have the same passion for music. There’s no reason why we can’t continue that.

Zeimani: The identity that they had when they were doing music together is so inspiring. And it’s been so inspiring to us because it motivates us to stick together as a family, against all odds. So we want to continue that, and make sure that music – the way we love to hear it – is forever heard.

Kucha: For more generations to come.

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