Brenton Wood, the singer best known for “The Oogum Boogum Song,” has died, according to multiple reports. He was 83.
According to Variety, Wood’s manager said he died from natural causes in Moreno Valley, California, surrounded by family.
“Catch you on the rebound,” a reference to Wood’s song of the same name, were his last words to fans.
Wood was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, before moving with his family to California. Wood’s birth name was Alfred Jesse Smith. His interest in music started at Compton College, where he adopted the stage name Brenton Wood.
He signed with Double Shot Records in 1967 and released “The Oogum Boogum Song” the same year. The hit peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard R&B charts, but it has remained a well-known oldie thanks to TV shows and movies like “The Umbrella Academy,” “Almost Famous” and “Don’t Worry Darling.”
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Other hits for Wood include “Gimme Little Sign” and “Baby You Got It.”
Wood started his own record label in 1972.
Variety reports that Wood had kicked off a farewell tour, “Catch You on the Rebound: The Last Tour,” but it was paused recently when he was hospitalized.
