Here's more about what Sam's brothers did to Bobby after he married Barbara Cooke:
Bobby Womack admits in his autobiography "Midnight Mover," that Sam Cooke's family had a real problem with him marrying Sam's widow (Barbara). Especially, Sam's brother, Charlie. He told Womack, shortly after the marriage, "Man, anybody else could have married Sam's wife, but you. Sam loved you, man." If you ever come to Chicago...The threat was left hanging in the air but I knew what it meant.
I figured if Charlie was going to do something, I wanted to get it over and done with. Barbara and I flew to Chicago. We checked into the 'Roberts Motel,' and I called Charlie. I told him, 'I'm here. We're in 2112.' In the motel room, Barbara busied herself loading bullets into a pistol. Barbara had a mean streak in her.
Charlie showed up with his two brothers David and L.C. I opened the door and Charlie punched me. He beat me so bad-my whole head swelled up like a melon. My teeth came through my lip. He beat me unconscious. He even broke my jaw. Barbara came out of the bathroom screaming.
She made a grab for the gun, she pointed it and pulled the trigger. It just clicked (I had removed the bullets while she was in the bathroom, before our guests arrived). Charlie and his brothers left. The cops were called, when they arrived and saw my condition, they said Charlie would do time. They arrested him later that evening but I declined to press charges. He was released and Barbara and I went on with our lives.