Brenton Wood, ‘The Oogum Boogum Song’ Soul Singer, Dies at 83

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.

Wood recorded several singles before signing with Double Shot Records in 1967 and scored his biggest hits “The Oogum Boogum Song,” which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard R&B charts, and “Gimme Little Sign” that reached No. 9 on the pop charts. In 1972, he formed his own label Prophesy Records, and throughout the decades released music on Mr. Wood Records.

Earlier this year, Wood launched the farewell tour Catch You on the Rebound: The Last Tour, though the trek was paused after he was hospitalized.

Over the years, “The Oogum Boogum Song” found new audiences as it was used in films and TV shows including “The Umbrella Academy,” “Almost Famous” and “Don’t Worry Darling.” His single “Great Big Bundle of Love” was also used in the second season of “Big Little Lies.”