Soul singer Brenton Wood has passed away at the age of 83, TMZ and Variety have reported. Wood's manager, Manny Gallegos, confirmed the news.
Woods, whose real name was Alfred Jesse Smith, is best known for his 1967 hit song “The Woogum Boogum Song,” which has been used repeatedly in film, television, and commercial campaigns. He died at his home in Moreno Valley, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, manager Manny Gallegos told the publication.
Wood was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and grew up in San Pedro, on the Los Angeles coast. He attended high school in Compton and attended Compton University, where he fell in love with music.
Wood is a singer and pianist, and in addition to his most famous songs, he has covered one of his musical inspirations, the classic “A Change is Gonna Come,” originally performed by Sam Cooke. did.
Wood had released a few records before his hit, but The Oogum Boogum Song made him a household name. The upbeat song peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard R&B chart, according to Variety. In 1972, he founded his own label, Prophesy Records, and continued to release music through his own label, Mr Wood Records, for nearly the past 50 years.
Woods' hit song “Wooggum Bugum Song” gained new popularity in movies and TV shows such as “The Umbrella Academy,” “Almost Famous” and “Don't Worry Darling.”
He began his last tour in early 2024 called “Catch You on the Rebound.” The tour was named after Woods' 1967 song of the same name.
According to Variety, Woods was hospitalized in May and his tour was canceled.
