Bobby Womack says he has Alzheimer's disease

By Mikael WoodPop Music Critic

Jan. 2, 2013 11:14 AM PT

After sparking widespread comeback chatter last year with his album “The Bravest Man in the Universe,” soul singer Bobby Womack has announced that he’s experiencing early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

“The doctor says, ‘You have signs of Alzheimer’s,’ ” Womack told the BBC’s Gilles Peterson in an interview on the latter’s Radio 6 program. “It’s not bad yet, but it’s gonna get worse.”

Womack, 68, admitted that he’s having trouble remembering things, including the name of Damon Albarn, who co-produced “The Bravest Man in the Universe” with XL Recordings chief Richard Russell. At October’s Q Awards in London -- where Womack won the award for best album -- he introduced the Blur/Gorillaz frontman as “Damon Osbourne.” (The singer first collaborated with Albarn on the 2010 Gorillaz set “Plastic Beach.”)

“That’s so embarrassing,” Womack said of the memory lapse. “Here’s a guy I work with -- I would never belittle him like that.”

“The Bravest Man in the Universe” earned rave reviews upon its release in June, with Pop & Hiss writing that the music “confronts old age without giving in to self-pity.” Hear the title track below.