Brenton Wood, the singer who rose to fame thanks to his 1967 hit “The Oogum Boogum Song,” has died. He was 83.
Wood passed away on Friday at his Moreno Valley, California home, surrounded by friends and family, his manager and assistant, Manny Gallegos, confirmed to The Post. TMZ was the first to break the news.
Though an official cause of death has not been revealed, Gallegos told The Post, “It just was his old age. He was 83 years old.”
Brenton Wood has died at 83. Getty Images
He was best known for “The Oogum Boogum Song.” Getty Images
“He went in his sleep peacefully. The love that he gave us, God took him the same way,” he said.
Gallegos added that on Thursday Woods gave him a message he wanted relayed to his fans. “I might not be here for long,” Woods told him.
“He said, ‘Catch you on the rebound,’” Gallegos revealed.
The phrase was also the name of Wood’s final tour. According to Gallegos, the tour wrapped in 2024 on Valentine’s Day weekend. After that, the singer began feeling ill. He was then hospitalized in May 2024.
“Catch you on the rebound,” was Wood’s final message to his fans. Redferns
“He went in his sleep peacefully,” Wood’s manager Manny Gallegos told The Post. Redferns
Born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, La., Wood grew up in San Pedro, Calif. He learned to play piano at a young age and was inspired by inspired by doo-wop legend Jesse Belvin and soul star Sam Cooke.
Around the time he attended college, the singer reportedly decided to change his name, drawing inspiration from the tony “Brentwood” neighborhood of West Los Angeles.
“The Oogum Boogum Song” peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. The track wasn’t Wood’s only hit that year. His songs “Gimme Little Sign” and “Baby You Got It,” reached the No. 9 and No. 34 spots on the chart, respectively.
Wood had a trio of hits chart in 1967 — “The Oogum Boogum Song,” “Gimme Little Sign” and “Baby You Got It.” Redferns
The trio of songs have been featured in countless movies and TV shows in the following decades.
The buoyant brand of soul and R&B the songs embody combined with Wood’s undeniable talent are seemingly responsible for keeping the hits relevant for so long.
“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.”
Wood was a believer in “giving back,” according to his website, which noted that he performed at schools and community outreach events to at risk youth throughout Southern California.
The site added that he would share the challenges and successes he knew “from both a personal and professional standpoint,” espousing the value of education to young people and carrying a “‘can do’ message of empowerment.”
