Ronald Isley Reveals ‘Choosey Lover’ Was About Bobby Womack

Let’s be real — some of the best songs in Black music history are the ones that leave us scratching our heads, wondering, “Wait… who were they really talking about?” One of those mystery-filled songs? The Isley Brothers’ 1983 ballad “Choosey Lover.” If you’re drawing a blank, no worries — or maybe you know the 90s remake by Aaliyah. Either way, the song has Ronald Isley pouring his heart out to a woman, grateful she picked him… even though she’d been with “someone else” first.

Well, Ronald Isley just dropped a name. That “someone else”? It was none other than Bobby Womack! Yes, the same Bobby Womack with the very complicated romantic history, according to some sources. Think three marriages, reportedly marrying the widow of his mentor Sam Cooke (Barbara Cooke), and allegedly having an affair with her daughter, Linda Cooke.

In a recent performance, Isley didn’t hold back. He ditched the vague “someone else” line and called out his “friend” by name. You can catch the moment below.

The video, posted April 2, has already racked up over a million views on X (formerly Twitter), and people have thoughts. One commenter wrote, “Just when you thought Bobby couldn’t get any SHEISTIER.”

And someone else chimed in with, “I wonder how many other homes Bobby Womack done wrecked my goodness!!!!”