Barbara Campbell Was Sam Cooke’s Wife Who Remarried Just Months after His Death

Barbara Campbell or Barbara Campbell Cooke, Sam Cooke's wife, didn't take long before she found love again after his death. She married someone close to her late husband.

What people don't know about Sam Cooke's wife, Barbara Campbell, also known as Barbara Campbell Cooke, is that she's a twin. On August 10, 1935, she and Beverly Campbell were welcomed by their parents in Chicago.

An 18-year-old Sam had just graduated from high school when he met his future wife, Barbara, then 13 and attending Doolittle Elementary School. By 17, she was pregnant with their child and became a single teenage mother due to their on-and-off relationship.

Barbara worked two jobs to support her child and herself. Eventually, she and Sam got married, and the musician's father officiated their wedding ceremony.

When Barbara Campbell Became Sam Cooke's Wife

Jet Magazine's December 31, 1964 edition revealed that Barbara married her "childhood sweetheart" in 1959. Sam's reverend father performed the couple's wedding nuptials in Chicago before they settled in Los Angeles.

As Sam's career grew, so did their family, welcoming two more children. With three kids, they moved into a luxury home with a swimming pool, costing an estimated $150,000. Here's more information about Barbara's children.

What Is Known about Barbara Campbell Cooke's Children?

Vincent, the couple's third child, was 18 months old when he drowned in the family swimming pool in 1963. On a summer day, the youngest Cooke family member was playing near the pool when he slipped and fell into the water.

It took several minutes before the rest of the family noticed, and by the time Barbara jumped in to save him, he was already gone. Sadly for Barbara, her son wasn't the only loved one she would lose over the years.

Sam Cooke's Death

Barbara's husband narrowly escaped death when he crashed his car into a trailer truck close to Marion, Arkansas. His chauffeur died while the singer and two other passengers were rushed to a hospital.

Tragedies seemed to find Sam. While in Washington's Howard Theater, a fan insisted on seeing him backstage. His brother, Charles, blocked the fan, who retaliated by stabbing Charles. Luckily, Barbara's brother-in-law managed to survive the attack.

On December 10, 1964, Sam was drinking and singing with friends at a well-known Hollywood restaurant when he met a woman, Lisa Boyer, 22, close to midnight. He took her to another nightclub where he almost got into a fight. At around 1:30 in the morning of the 11th, the 33-year-old, against the woman's wishes, brought her to the Hacienda Motel in south Los Angeles.

The pair allegedly undressed, but the woman ran away with her belongings while Barbara's husband was in the bathroom. When he found her gone, he went to the motel manager, Bertha Lee Franklin's apartment, thinking Lisa was there, and demanded entrance.

The female manager denied him, but Sam fought to get inside. They got into a fight, and a gun went off, killing Sam. It was later ruled as a justifiable homicide, with Bertha shooting Sam in self-defense during their heated exchange. According to the motel manager, she only acted "out of fear for her own safety."

It turned out Lisa had knocked on Bertha's door that night, but she became impatient and went to call the police from a phone booth instead, claiming Sam had "kidnapped" her. She and Bertha were later cleared of any wrongdoing after taking lie detector tests. Meanwhile, Barbara eventually remarried just months after losing the singer.

Who Was Barbara Campbell Cooke's Next Husband?

On February 18, 1965, a feature on Jet Magazine revealed that Barbara, then 29, had spent less than 60 days mourning her late husband before sharing surprising news—she was marrying Sam's friend, Bobby Womack, then 20.

Weeks after Sam's death, Barbara and Bobby were seen hanging out at nighttime events where she seemed happy, and she was sporting a diamond engagement ring. On finding love again after Sam, Barbara had this to say:

"Sometimes you wonder how you can be this lucky twice."

Bobby had worked with Sam before, handling the guitar side of things, but he mainly played with The Valentinos, formerly known as The Womack Brothers. Barbara's new man said they would marry in Los Angeles before visiting his family in Cleveland and then hers in Chicago.

Sam's father disapproved of Barbara marrying the younger man and bringing him around his granddaughter, Linda, who was then 11. But Bobby believed Sam would've wanted him to marry Barbara, claiming the late star's children were fond of him and even thought he looked like him.

Bobby and Barbara tied the knot just three months after Sam's death, resulting in a ton of hate mail from people who disapproved of their union. Regardless, Barbara lived a long and fulfilling life before she passed.

She shot Bobbie, but the bullet only grazed his temple; she wasn't charged...

When Did Barbara Campbell Die?

When Barbara passed away in April 2021, at age 85, a public announcement wasn't made, as per her and her family's wishes. David Washington, a Detroit radio host close to the Cooke and Womack families, confirmed her death but didn't give the cause.

In his 2006 book, "Bobby Womack: My Story," Bobby revealed that Barbara had taken on a lot. He also recalled how she and Sam "were a pair" who "lived each other."

In an unfortunate turn of events, Bobby ended up having a relationship with Barbara's daughter, Linda, and she reacted severely the day she found them in bed. She shot Bobby, but the bullet only grazed his temple. She wasn't charged, and they divorced in 1970. Sadly, by the time Barbara died, she and Bobby weren't talking, and neither was Linda speaking to her.

Barbara was survived by Linda, Tracey, her twin sister, and a granddaughter. Due to privacy desires, her family refused to talk about her life or death. May she continue to rest in peace.