Soul legend Bobby Womack is suffering from colon cancer, says longtime friend Bootsy Collins. "I JUST SPOKE TO OUR FRIEND BOBBY WOMACK," Collins wrote on Facebook yesterday. "He Wanted You All to Know That He Loves You & Thxs for the Prayers. Docs Says He Is In 1st Stage of Colon Cancer, He is Very Up Beat About His Future, we laughed & joked before we hung up. Thxs Funkateers, we will get him Back on the One!" Earlier in the day, Collins revealed the singer had been hospitalized for pneumonia.

Womack, who was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, has an enormous body of work as a singer, sideman and songwriter. His hits as a vocalist include "Woman's Gotta Have It," "Lookin' For a Love," "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" and "If You Think You're Lonely Now." He penned hits for many other acts, including "It's All Over Now," the Rolling Stones' first Number One hit in the United Kingdom. More recently, Womack appeared on two tracks from the Gorillaz's 2010 album Plastic Beach, including the hit "Stylo."

Womack will release a new album produced by Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn and XL label boss Richard Russell, The Bravest Man in the Universe, on June 12th. You can listen to the record's first single, "Please Forgive My Heart," below.

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