Brenton Wood, ‘The Oogum Boogum Song’ Soul Singer, Dies at 83
variety.comSteven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Brenton Wood, the classic soul singer behind hits “The Oogum Boogum Song” and “Gimme Little Sign,” died at the age of 83.
Wood’s manager and assistant, Manny Gallegos, confirmed his death to Variety, stating that he died from natural causes and was surrounded by his family at his home in Moreno Valley, CA.
According to Gallegos, Wood’s final words to his fans were, “Catch you on the rebound,” a reference to his 1967 song. Born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, LA, Wood moved with his family to San Pedro, CA, and later attended Compton College, where he began to explore his interest in music.
He adopted his stage name as a reference to his home county, and looked to artists including Sam Cooke and Jesse Belvin for inspiration as he wrote songs and played the piano.
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