LOS ANGELES — Brenton Wood, the soulful R&B singer behind the 1960s hit “The Oogum Boogum Song,” has died, his managers have confirmed. He was 83.
Wood died peacefully in his sleep, his longtime managers Isabel and Manny Gallegos confirmed. An official cause of death has not been released.
Born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, Louisiana, Wood later relocated with his family to San Pedro, California and attended Compton College.
His breakthrough came in 1967 with “The Oogum Boogum Song,” which reached peaked at 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 19 on the Billboard R&B charts. His song “Gimme Little Sign” climbed to No. 9 on the pop charts.
Brenton Wood, the classic soul singer behind hits “The Oogum Boogum Song” and “Gimme Little Sign,” died at the age of 83.According to his manager, Wood’s final words to his fans were, “Catch you on the rebound,” a reference to his 1967 song. https://t.co/zmYen6Avn2
— Variety (@Variety) January 4, 2025
Wood later established his own label, Prophesy Records, in 1972 and continued releasing music through Mr. Wood Records in subsequent decades.
Manny Gallegos told Variety that Wood’s parting message to fans was “Catch you on the rebound,” referencing his 1967 song of the same name.
“The Oogum Boogum Song” made a modern resurgence and has been featured in countless TV shows and movies, and found new fans again as a popular sound on the social media app TikTok.
Earlier this year, Wood began what was planned as his farewell tour, “Catch You on the Rebound: The Last Tour.”