RIP Brenton Wood: Soul musician and singer-songwriter dies at 83

Soul musician Brenton Wood, who gained fame with his 1967 smash song The Oogum Boogum Song, passed away. He was eighty-three.

According to his manager and assistant, Manny Gallegos, Wood died on Friday at his home in Moreno Valley, California, surrounded by loved ones, according to TMZ.

Wood passed away naturally, Gallegos told The New York Post. “He went in his sleep peacefully. The love that he gave us, God took him the same way,” Gallegos said.

The manager also sent Wood's farewell message to his fans: "He said, 'Catch you on the rebound,'" which alludes to a 1967 song and the title of his final tour, which concluded over Valentine's Day weekend in 2024. Wood was admitted to the hospital in May of last year after becoming ill soon after the tour.

Wood, who was born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, Louisiana, moved to San Pedro, California, in the 1950s with his family.

Later, he went to college in Southern California, where he started to pursue his love of music and found inspiration in performers such as Sam Cooke and Jesse Belvin.

Wood, a self-taught pianist, composed music and performed harmony with pals from the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, which served as the basis for his stage name, Brenton Wood.

He established Prophesy Records in 1972 and subsequently put out music under Mr. Wood Records.

By appearing in well-known TV series and films like Don't Worry Darling, Almost Famous, and The Umbrella Academy, among others, The Oogum Boogum Song has expanded its following.

“It’s hard to be in a bad mood after you hear the ‘Oogum Boogum Song,’” NPR wrote in 2023. “Probably not worth the effort.”

“It’s a silly title and has silly lyrics, too. But there’s something about the feeling. That almost playful falsetto, the drums bouncing along, the jangly guitar hits.”

According to his website, Wood frequently performed at schools and community outreach events in Southern California during his career because he believed in "giving back."